occidental

American  

[ok-si-den-tl] / ˌɒk sɪˈdɛn tl /

adjective

1. (usually initial capital letter) of, relating to, or characteristic of the Occident or its natives and inhabitants.

2. western.

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noun

1. (usually initial capital letter) a native or inhabitant of the Occident.

occidental ¹ British  

/ ˌɒksɪˈdɛntəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the Occident

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noun

1. an inhabitant, esp a native, of the Occident

occidental ² British  

/ ˌɒksɪˈdɛntəl /

adjective

1. a literary or formal word for western Compare oriental

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Other Word Forms

• Occidentalism noun
• Occidentalist noun
• Occidentally adverb
• nonoccidental adjective
• nonoccidentally adverb
• occidentality noun
• occidentally adverb
• pseudooccidental adjective
• unoccidental adjective
• unoccidentally adverb

Etymology

Origin of occidental

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin occidentālis western, equivalent to occident- Occident ( def. ) + -ālis -al ¹

Explanation

You can use the adjective occidental to describe the Western part of the world, as opposed to Asia and the Middle East. The United States is an occidental country. The word occidental is uncommon these days, in part because it's historically been the opposite of oriental, a term for the Eastern countries of the world, mainly Asia — which has come to be considered offensive (or at least old-fashioned). You won't hurt anyone's feelings by describing Europe or Canada as occidental, though few people will know what you mean. The Latin root, occidentem , means "western sky" or "sunset."

Example Sentences

Durante generaciones, Nicaragua, el segundo país más pobre del hemisferio occidental después de Haití, solo vio emigrar a cuentagotas a sus habitantes hacia el norte.

From New York Times • Dec. 27, 2022

“Suffice to say that utilizing an occidental sci-fi vehicle to carry a ... mythical Buddhist tale is a miscalculation,” Zhu said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 22, 2018

But long after Texaco is gone, the vision she’s granted him will endure: In the centre, an occidental urban logic, all lined up, ordered, strong like the French language.

From The Guardian • Oct. 15, 2015

La persona que entregó el dinero lo recibió de un informante en un estacionamiento del centro comercial Dolphin Mall en el sector occidental del condado.

From Washington Times • Nov. 25, 2014

The oldest of beast-tales available for occidental children is the story of Reynard the Fox.

From Literature in the Elementary School by MacClintock, Porter Lander