Tibetan

American  

[ti-bet-n] / tɪˈbɛt n /

Or Thibetan

adjective

1. of or relating to Tibet, its inhabitants, or their language.

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noun

1. a member of the people native to or inhabiting Tibet.

2. the Sino-Tibetan language of Tibet, especially in its standard literary form.

Tibetan British  

/ tɪˈbɛtən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Tibet, its people, or their language

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Tibet

2. the language of Tibet, belonging to the Sino-Tibetan family

Etymology

Origin of Tibetan

First recorded in 1740–50; Tibet + -an

Example Sentences

On the other side of the barricades, one of the largest groups of anti-Xi demonstrators in recent American memory countered with megaphones, black-and-white protest banners and flags bearing snow lions, a symbol of Tibetan identity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

When the BBC visited a monastery that had been at heart of Tibetan resistance in July last year, monks spoke of living under fear and intimidation.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

Expanding seismic networks, especially in remote regions like the Tibetan Plateau north of the Himalayas, would probably reveal more mantle quakes.

From Science Daily • Feb. 20, 2026

He feared the Tibetan mastiff's behaviour issues were putting his children at risk and, after several attempts to rehabilitate her, decided to use Save A Paw.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

Religions bring the sacred into our lives with Gothic churches, Muslim mosques, Hindu ashrams, Torah scrolls, Tibetan prayer wheels, priestly cassocks, candles, incense, Christmas trees, matzah balls, tombstones and icons.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari