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Palestinian

American  
[pal-uh-stin-ee-uhn] / ˌpæl əˈstɪn i ən /

noun

  1. a native or inhabitant of Palestine.

  2. Also called Palestinian Arab.  an Arab formerly living in Palestine who advocates the establishment of an Arab homeland there.


adjective

  1. of or relating to Palestine or Palestinians.

  2. of or relating to Palestinian Arabs.

    Palestinian guerrillas.

Palestinian British  
/ ˌpælɪˈstɪnɪən /

adjective

  1. of or relating to Palestine

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a native or inhabitant of the former British mandate, or their descendants, esp such Arabs now living in the Palestinian Administered Territories, Jordan, Lebanon, or Israel, or as refugees from Israeli-occupied territory

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Palestinian

Palestin(e) + -ian

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.

Any engagement with Israel at this point would focus on the resolution of the Palestinian issue, a Qatari official has said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026

His relatives on his father’s side were Palestinian refugees who fled amid territorial claims and political unrest, according to Miles’s book.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

The next steps involve the Palestinian armed group giving up its weapons and Israeli troop withdrawals.

From BBC • May 28, 2026

Awad had an unrelenting but self-deprecating sense of humor, and he loved his wife’s knafeh, the sweet, stretchy cheese Palestinian dessert.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026

Abdel Nasser had been trying hard to stop the fighting between the government of Jordan and the Palestinian freedom fighters we called fedayeen when he had a heart attack and died.

From "Tasting the Sky" by Ibtisam Barakat

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