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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.

Local Palestinian residents pointed out that the home of Sam's family is just on the other side of an Israeli checkpoint.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

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

Riyadh has long said openly that it would only agree to the pact if there were a clear pathway toward a Palestinian state.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026

Israeli troops captured the castle from Palestinian militants during the 1982 Lebanon war and held the site until 2000.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 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

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