Punjabi

or Pan·ja·bi

[ puhn-jah-bee ]

/ pʌnˈdʒɑ bi /

Save This Word!

noun, plural Pun·ja·bis for 1.

a native or inhabitant of the Punjab.

an Indic language of the Punjab.

adjective

of or relating to the Punjab, its people, or their language.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Origin of Punjabi

First recorded in 1780–90; Punjab + -ī a suffix indicating relationship or origin

Words nearby Punjabi

punishment, punition, punitive, punitive damages, Punjab, Punjabi, Punjab States, punji stake, punk, punka, punkah

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use Punjabi in a sentence

Punjabi is extremely difficult and they have fun teaching me expressions that they make me say to their classmates in the middle of the night.
Locked up in the Land of Liberty: Part II|Michael K. Lavers|July 14, 2021|Washington Blade
For decades, gas stations have been serving up Korean tteokbokki, and Tibeten sha phaley, and Punjabi tandoori chicken, in the places and spaces most people wouldn’t think to look twice.
The American Dream in the Back of a Sunoco|Trisha Gopal|May 26, 2021|Eater
Understanding the state violence in Punjab during the 1980s helps us see the grievances that Punjabi farmers have with the central government.
The Farmers' Protests Are a Turning Point for India's Democracy—and the World Can No Longer Ignore That|Simran Jeet Singh|February 12, 2021|Time
On the other hand there are the elites, mostly Punjabi, civil and military, who run the country.
CIA Agents Assess: How Real Is ‘Homeland’?|Chuck Cogan, John MacGaffin|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST

During the colonial period the Punjabi Muslims formed the prized martial class for the British Raj.
CIA Agents Assess: How Real Is ‘Homeland’?|Chuck Cogan, John MacGaffin|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The former Punjabi legislator said Malala was a devout Muslim with no interest in promoting a secular democracy in Pakistan.
Has Malala Become a Puppet of the West?|Nico Hines|April 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There are four in Pakistan, for speakers of Urdu, Sindhi, Pashto, and Punjabi.
Abortion at Sea|Michelle Goldberg|October 1, 2012|DAILY BEAST
He said this was a well-worn path of Kashmiri and Punjabi militants moving from one base to another.
Al Qaeda Commander Ilyas Kashmiri Killed in U.S. Predator Strike|Ron Moreau & Sami Yousafzai, Christopher Dickey|June 4, 2011|DAILY BEAST
We were fortunate in having pleasant company in the officers of a Punjabi infantry battalion and an Indian cavalry regiment.
War in the Garden of Eden|Kermit Roosevelt
A Punjabi constable in yellow linen trousers slouched across the road.
Kim|Rudyard Kipling
A number of tall, bearded Mohammedans, men of the detachment of the Punjabi Regiment we were replacing, were at the station.
Life in an Indian Outpost|Gordon Casserly
Jai Singh's foul tactics confirmed Swinton's suspicion that the bout was a prearranged plot; the Punjabi was acting under orders.
The Three Sapphires|W. A. Fraser
He had been so long associated with the regiment that he talked Punjabi as well as English.
Through Three Campaigns|G. A. Henty

British Dictionary definitions for Punjabi

Punjabi

Panjabi

/ (pʌnˈdʒɑːbɪ) /

noun

a member of the chief people of the Punjab

the state language of the Punjab, belonging to the Indic branch of the Indo-European family

adjective

of or relating to the Punjab, its people, or their language

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