Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

Washingtonian

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

adjective

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


noun

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

Washingtonian British  
/ ˌwɒʃɪŋˈtəʊnɪən /

adjective

  1. 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

  1. 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:

After its Washingtonian adventure, Miller’s artillery battery was sent to Louisiana, where Miller fought in the Battle of New Orleans.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 17, 2026

Worst of all, not that it’s a contest, but the Washington Post will now be a lot less Washingtonian.

From Slate Feb. 5, 2026

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

Davis, in an article in the Washingtonian, published at Chicago, presents the opposite view of the case.

From Grappling with the Monster The Curse and the Cure of Strong Drink by T. S. (Timothy Shay) Arthur

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training