Asian

[ ey-zhuhn, ey-shuhn ]

adjective

1. of, belonging to, or characteristic of Asia or its inhabitants.

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Asia or a person of Asian descent.

Asian

/ ˈeɪʃən; ˈeɪʒən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Asia or to any of its peoples or languages
2. of or relating to natives of the Indian subcontinent or any of their descendants, esp when living in Britain

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Asia or a descendant of one
2. a native of the Indian subcontinent or a descendant of one

Sensitive Note

Asian is the most commonly used term referring to people in or from Asia, especially East Asia. In American English, Oriental as a noun or adjective applied to people is outdated and has become a sensitive term to be avoided. It is associated with a bygone era in which Asians had subordinate status and their culture was perceived as strange and exotic. Also, the origin of the term Oriental represents a Eurocentric view of geography, since the Orient, or East, is east of Europe. However, Oriental is a neutral, inoffensive term when used as an adjective describing Asian culture or things from Asia. Similarly, the term Asiatic is usually offensive when referring to people, but neutral when referring to Asian culture, animals, etc. Though Asian is an acceptable ethnic designation in most contexts, it is best to be as specific as possible, rather than to group all Asians into a single cultural identity. In general, people of South, Southeast, and East Asian origin prefer to be identified by their country of origin: for example, Indian, Pakistani, Indonesian, Korean, Japanese, or Chinese. The people of the Middle East and Polynesia are not usually referred to as Asian.

Usage

To refer to someone from the Indian subcontinent as an Asian is potentially offensive and should be avoided. If you are talking about one specific group, it is better to say so, for instance people of Indian descent

Other Words From

• an·ti-A·sian adjective noun
• half-A·sian adjective noun
• non-A·sian adjective noun
• pro-A·sian adjective noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Asian¹

First recorded in 1555–65; from Latin Asiānus, from Greek Asiānós; Asia, -an

Example Sentences

Today, the city is an Asian hipster outpost, with shopping malls, clothing boutiques, and mixologist-prepared cocktails.

From The Daily Beast

Just 47 percent of Asian-Americans voted in the 2012 presidential election.

From The Daily Beast

Asian-Americans may vote for Democrats now, but they are a highly persuadable—and growing—part of the electorate.

From The Daily Beast

Asian-Americans are a group of persuadable swing voters, growing faster than any other group in America today.

From The Daily Beast

In 1992, Republican George H.W. Bush won the Asian-American vote by 24 points.

From The Daily Beast

We were close upon the Asian shore, and I put the helm down to go about.

From Project Gutenberg

Malagigi sat repenting in his Asian grotto, like S. Gerolamo in the pictures.

From Project Gutenberg

In remoter days Huns had swept through these passes, coming from Asian deserts to the pillage of Europe.

From Project Gutenberg

In Central Asian rugs we find the cone replaced by the pomegranate, and the tree of life becomes a pomegranate tree.

From Project Gutenberg

Taking it as it is, with the test of language added, nothing short of an Asian origin will account for it.

From Project Gutenberg