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.

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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

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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

Etymology

Origin of Palestinian

Palestin(e) + -ian

Example Sentences

Born in the U.S. to a Palestinian father and a Mexican mother, who left their countries escaping violence, Colette Ghunim is a child of displacement and migration.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 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

When I asked her why she always wore the same style dress, she said that Palestinian women had embroidered their dresses with these flowers for hundreds of years.

From "Tasting the Sky" by Ibtisam Barakat