Filipino

American  

[fil-uh-pee-noh] / ˌfɪl əˈpi noʊ /

Or filipino

adjective

1. of or relating to inhabitants of the Philippines or to people of Philippine origin or descent; Philippine.

   Filipino immigrants living and working in Hawaii.

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noun

Filipinos plural

1. Sometimes Offensive. an inhabitant of the Philippines or a person of Philippine origin or descent.

2. Pilipino.

Filipino British  

/ ˌfɪlɪˈpiːnəʊ /

noun

1. Also (feminine): Filipina.  a native or inhabitant of the Philippines

2. another name for Tagalog

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Philippines or their inhabitants

Sensitive Note

Use as a noun in reference to a person (e.g., “a Filipino”) is sometimes considered offensive.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Filipinos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Filipino

First recorded in 1895–1900; from Spanish, derived from (las Islas) Filipinas “the Philippine Islands”; see origin at Philippines

Example Sentences

“The Filipino influence is incredibly strong, and maybe we haven’t fully conceptualized the scope of its historical importance ... for this part of Mexico.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 24, 2026

Diane Briones Williams’s textiles at Official Welcome inject international flair into Western art history by rendering traditional scenes—landscapes, still lifes and genre painings—in needlepoint, then adding elements that touch on the artist’s Filipino heritage.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

Seventeen Filipino crew members arrived in the Netherlands on Tuesday morning, according to the Philippine Embassy.

From BBC • May 12, 2026

The firing on Wednesday of two Type-88 missiles formed part of exercises in the Philippines between US, Australian, Filipino and Japanese troops as well as contingents from France, New Zealand and Canada.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

Now Filipino men were imported to the sugar fields to compete with the Chinese and Japanese.

From "Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science" by Marc Aronson