Indian

American  

[in-dee-uhn] / ˈɪn di ən /

noun

• Indians
  plural

1. Also called American Indian, Amerind, Amerindian, Native American. a member of any of the aboriginal peoples of the Americas, especially of subarctic North America, excluding the Inuit, Yupik, and Aleut.

2. any of the Indigenous languages of the American Indians. Ind

3. a member of any of the peoples native to or inhabiting India or the East Indies.

4. a citizen of the Republic of India.

5. Slang. a person who performs a required task or carries out the instructions of superiors.

   We have too many chiefs and not enough Indians.

6. Astronomy. the constellation Indus.

---

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the American Indians or their languages.

2. of, relating to, or characteristic of India or the East Indies.

3. made of Indian corn.

   Indian meal.

4. Zoogeography. oriental.

5. Phytogeography. belonging or pertaining to a geographical division comprising India south of the Himalayas, and Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Indian British  

/ ˈɪndɪən /

noun

1. a native, citizen, or inhabitant of the Republic of India

2. old-fashioned a Native American

3. (not in scholarly usage) any of the languages of Native Americans

---

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of India, its inhabitants, or any of their languages

2. (Not in scholarly usage) of, relating to, or characteristic of Native Americans or any of their languages

Sensitivity

Because Christopher Columbus mistakenly believed that the Caribbean island on which he had landed was the subcontinent of India, he called the inhabitants Indians. Eventually, that name was applied to almost all the Indigenous, non-European inhabitants of North and South America. In modern times Indian may refer to an inhabitant of the subcontinent of India or of the East Indies, to a citizen of the Republic of India, or to a member of an aboriginal American people. However, the term Indian is not applied to the Inuit, Yupik, and Aleut of Arctic North America. In the 18th century the term American Indian came to be used for the aboriginal inhabitants of the United States and Canada; it now includes the aboriginal peoples of South America as well. (When necessary, further distinctions are made with such terms as North American Indian and South American Indian. ) The terms Amerindian and Amerind subsequently developed in the attempt to reduce ambiguity. The most recent designation, especially in North America, is Native American. American Indians themselves tend to favor the terms Indian, American Indian, or a specific tribal name. They sometimes refer to themselves collectively as Indian peoples. All these terms appear in edited writing. Whether one or several will gain ascendancy over the others remains to be seen. See Eskimo. See also honest Injun, Indian giver.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pre-Indian
  noun
• anti-Indian
  adjective
• non-Indian
  adjective
• pro-Indian
  adjective
• pseudo-Indian
  adjective
• trans-Indian
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• Indians
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of Indian

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Medieval Latin Indiānus; replacing Middle English Indien, from Old French, from Medieval Latin as above; see India, -an

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Indian Indians

Infrastructure monetization hit $2.5 billion for the three months, including proceeds from the sale of an Indian telecom tower platform.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

The celebrations also bring families and friends together for prayers, elaborate feasts and the exchange of gifts, and lots of traditional Indian sweets.

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

It entered the Indian Ocean on Sept. 11 and changed its destination back to Port Klang, according to ship-tracking data.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

"It's the largest production in the history of Indian cinema," said Malhotra, who has branded it India's "Star Wars" or "Lord of the Rings".

From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026

I recognized the orange bursts of Butterfly Weeds and the tall red Indian Paintbrushes, but there were so many beautiful plants in the garden all I could do was smile with joy and serenity.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall

She and other cast members highlighted the responsibility they felt in their roles, since many Indians have "a very personal connection with these characters".

From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026

"We are all standing together because we are defending the Constitution. We are defending the idea of India. We are defending the vote, which is the expression of all Indians."

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026

Malissa Tayaba, vice chair of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, told the board members: “You are on the wrong side of history, and we will prevail.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

For many Indians, both the entities together make up what most companies cannot buy - trust.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

In time the Indians realized that 1 + 0 was infinite.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---