adjective
noun
-
a native or inhabitant of Melanesia: generally Negroid with frizzy hair and small stature
-
a group or branch of languages spoken in Melanesia, belonging to the Malayo-Polynesian family
-
See also Neo-Melanesian
Etymology
Origin of Melanesian
First recorded in 1840–50; Melanesi(a) + -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.
The indigenous Papuans, who are Melanesian, are now thought to be outnumbered by settlers from other parts of the archipelago.
From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2023
In Melanesian culture, a wide-eyed gasping face is a symbol of aggression, not fear.
From Scientific American ● Apr. 27, 2022
George Hoa’au, the acting director-general of the Melanesian group, said the French were "not good at anti-colonisation."
From Reuters ● Dec. 10, 2021
Wale and other lawmakers spoke at length, using a mixture of English, the official language, and the commonly spoken Melanesian pidgin.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 5, 2021
Five miles across the island, on its north-eastern shore, and communicating with it by a fair road, lies the Melanesian Mission estate of a thousand acres.
From A Modern Buccaneer by Rolf Boldrewood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
