mandarin

American  

[man-duh-rin] / ˈmæn də rɪn /

noun

• mandarins
  plural

1. (in the Chinese Empire) a member of any of the nine ranks of public officials, each distinguished by a particular kind of button worn on the cap.

2. (initial capital letter) the standard Chinese language.

3. (initial capital letter) a northern Chinese dialect, especially as spoken in and around Beijing.

4. a small, spiny citrus tree, Citrus reticulata, native to China, bearing lance-shaped leaves and flattish, orange-yellow to deep-orange loose-skinned fruit, some varieties of which are called tangerines.

5. any of several plants belonging to the genus Disporum or Streptopus, of the lily family, as S. roseus rose mandarin or D. lanuginosum yellow mandarin, having drooping flowers and red berries.

6. an influential or powerful government official or bureaucrat.

7. a member of an elite or powerful group or class, as in intellectual or cultural milieus.

   the mandarins of the art world.

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adjective

1. of or relating to a mandarin or mandarins.

2. elegantly refined, as in language or taste.

mandarin British  

/ ˈmændərɪn /

noun

1. (in the Chinese Empire) a member of any of the nine senior grades of the bureaucracy, entered by examinations

2. a high-ranking official whose powers are extensive and thought to be outside political control

3. a person of standing and influence, as in literary or intellectual circles

4. 1. a small citrus tree, Citrus nobilis, cultivated for its edible fruit

   2. the fruit of this tree, resembling the tangerine

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• mandarinate
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• mandarins
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mandarin

1580–90; < Portuguese mandarim, alteration (by association with mandar to order) of Malay məntəri < Hindi mantrī, Sanskrit mantrin councilor

Explanation

Use the noun mandarin when you're talking about a powerful member of a government, company, or cultural group. In other words, don't mess with the mandarin. You can use mandarin to mean "bureaucrat," or an official who tends to make things complicated and who wields a lot of power. Another kind of mandarin is a respected cultural or academic figure: "My favorite philosophy professor is considered a mandarin on campus." Mandarin with a capital "M" refers to the language spoken in China. Originally, this word meant simply "Chinese official," from the Hindi root word mantrī, "counselor."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mandarin mandarins

And yet a friend of Sir Olly Robbins, the defenestrated lead civil servant in the Foreign Office, said the soon to be former mandarin was being unfairly traduced.

From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026

My euphoria stemmed as much from the mandarin eloquence of the characters as from the unanticipated magic that can happen when a playwright finds his community of actors.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2025

From limes and Meyer lemons to numerous varieties of mandarin oranges, we're blessed with fruit.

From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2023

We elevate the dish by opening a can of mandarin oranges and chopping them to fold into the cream.

From Washington Times ● May 10, 2023

Once the cups were set out, and Henry had poured the tea, somber as a mandarin, we began to talk about the madnesses induced by the gods: poetic, prophetic, and, finally, Dionysian.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

According to an AFP journalist, mandarins in Ashgabat cost $1.90, apples more than $2 and a pack of cigarettes has risen to $3 -- pretty much double what they were.

From Barron's ● Mar. 10, 2026

Orange is being mixed with mango, mandarins and clementine juice.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2025

He found himself sightseeing on Jeju Island, a resort island famous for sweet mandarins and volcanic rock statues.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2025

It typically ships a substantial amount of mandarins, oranges and lemons to Canada.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2025

Some of the more noted are born to be kings or mandarins, or men with lofty titles that shall bring them great honours and emoluments.

From Sidelights on Chinese Life by J. (John) Macgowan