Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Jump to:

Malayan

American  
[muh-ley-uhn] / məˈleɪ ən /

adjective

  1. Malay.


malayan British  
/ məˈleɪən /

adjective

  1. of or relating to Malaya or its inhabitants

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a native or inhabitant of Malaya

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of Malayan

Malay + -an

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For the first time, I could picture the legendary tropical city of Malayan sampans, Chinese street hawkers and British colonial languor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 27, 2025

In 1953, he re-joined the SAS, this time battling Communist soldiers in jungles during the Malayan Emergency.

From BBC • Jan. 25, 2025

“Bring them hope, so that they may come home to a better world,” Malayan Snapir said, before receiving a standing ovation.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 8, 2024

Apparently its Malayan sun bear looked surprisingly humanlike when it stood up on two legs to wave at visitors.

From Slate • Aug. 4, 2023

He had survived pellagra in Persia, scurvy in the Malayan archipelago, leprosy in Alexandria, beriberi in Japan, bubonic plague in Madagascar, an earthquake in Sicily, and a disastrous shipwreck in the Strait of Magellan.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "Malayan" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com