West Indian
Britishadjective
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of or relating to the West Indies, its inhabitants, or their language or culture
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native to or derived from the West Indies
noun
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a native or inhabitant of the West Indies
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a person of West Indian descent
Usage
Using West Indian to refer to people of this ancestry living in Britain may cause offence. Possible alternatives are Black and Afro-Caribbean
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.
My 92-year-old West Indian father, a US Army veteran with Alzheimer’s-related dementia who once did half of the cooking, now observes quietly.
From Salon • Jun. 15, 2026
In “Malcolm X,” Lindo squared off with Denzel Washington’s protagonist as a Harlem hustler named West Indian Archie.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026
Nothing beats watching a West Indian when they get going.
From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026
Two West Indian bowlers, playing for the only time in the series, played crucial roles.
From Barron's • Jan. 31, 2026
“That’s a shame!” an old West Indian woman was saying.
From "145th Street: Short Stories" by Walter Dean Myers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
