Washingtonian

American

[wosh-ing-toh-nee-uhn, waw-shing-] / ˌwɒʃ ɪŋˈtoʊ ni ən, ˌwɔ ʃɪŋ- /

adjective

living in or coming from Washington, D.C., or the state of Washington.

noun

a native or inhabitant of Washington, D.C., or the state of Washington.

Washingtonian British

/ ˌwɒʃɪŋˈtəʊnɪən /

adjective

of or relating to the city or state of Washington or their inhabitants

"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

a native or inhabitant of the city or state of Washington

"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 Washingtonian

An Americanism dating back to 1780–90; Washington + -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.

See Examples For:

Washingtonian

Ava Hoelscher reported for Washingtonian magazine on Friday:

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 2, 2026

As a Washingtonian, it made me want to stand up and cheer.

From Slate ● Nov. 7, 2025

I'd just seen articles from, you know, the Washington Post, or the Washingtonian or whatever that describe the dating culture in DC as really terrible.

From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2024

Ms. Graham explained the star-studded turnout in a single word, according to a report in Washingtonian magazine: “Fear.”

From New York Times ● Jan. 16, 2024

It was by signing the Washingtonian Temperance Pledge.

From Little Wolf A Tale of the Western Frontier by Cornelius, M. A.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023