Nepalese

American  

[nep-uh-leez, -lees] / ˌnɛp əˈliz, -ˈlis /

adjective

1. of or relating to Nepal, its inhabitants, or their language.

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noun

plural

Nepalese

1. a native or inhabitant of Nepal.

2. Nepali.

Nepalese British  

/ ˌnɛpəˈliːz /

adjective

1. of or relating to Nepal or its inhabitants

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Nepal

Usage

Nepalese is used as a plural noun (a candidate favored by the Nepalese ), but it's relatively rare as a singular noun (the candidate who is a Nepalese ).

Etymology

Origin of Nepalese

First recorded in 1810–20; Nepal + -ese

Example Sentences

Chemaf’s founder, Shiraz Virji, son of a Zanzibar spice merchant, once hired dozens of Gurkhas, Nepalese soldiers with a reputation for fierceness, to guard one of the company’s mines against incursions by informal miners.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

He defeated the former Nepalese Prime Minister Sharma KP Oli in his parliamentary constituency.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

While browsing the library, you might stumble on a book from a cuisine you’ve never explored: Nepalese, Swedish, Kenyan, Cuban.

From Salon • Dec. 20, 2025

"Everyone here is an immigrant," he added, gesturing towards the Nepalese team which dishes up traditional British fare through the night.

From Barron's • Dec. 19, 2025

The latrines were so abhorrent that most people, Nepalese and Westerners alike, evacuated their bowels outside on the open ground, wherever the urge struck.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer