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  • xian
    xian
    noun
  • Xian
    Xian
    noun
    a city in and the capital of Shaanxi province, in central China: capital of the ancient Chinese Empire.
  • Xi'an
    Xi'an
    noun
    an industrial city in central China, capital of Shaanxi province: capital of China for 970 years at various times between the 3rd century bc and the 10th century ad ; seat of the Northwestern University (1937); famous for Qin dynasty emperor Qinshihuang's tomb (207 bc ) with 8000-strong terracotta army. Pop: 3 256 000 (2005 est)

xian

1 American  
[shyahn] / ʃjɑn /

noun

  1. hsien.


Xian 2 American  
[shee-ahn] / ˈʃiˈɑn /
(Older Spellings) Sian or Xi'an

noun

Pinyin.
  1. a city in and the capital of Shaanxi province, in central China: capital of the ancient Chinese Empire.


Xi'an British  
/ ʃjɑːn /

noun

  1. Former names: Changan.   Siking.  an industrial city in central China, capital of Shaanxi province: capital of China for 970 years at various times between the 3rd century bc and the 10th century ad ; seat of the Northwestern University (1937); famous for Qin dynasty emperor Qinshihuang's tomb (207 bc ) with 8000-strong terracotta army. Pop: 3 256 000 (2005 est)

"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

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:

The honeyed, minerally aromatics of lao xian weng, also called Eternity, will dazzle even the most well-versed tea lover.

From Los Angeles Times Nov. 2, 2022

The key to quality Sichuan cooking, notes Dunlop, is not to drown out the dish’s essential xian with red chile oil, ginger, garlic, pickled chiles or any other pungent ingredient.

From Washington Post May 15, 2018

One other point to remember: All Chinese cooks value a characteristic known as xian.

From Washington Post May 15, 2018

Hand-pulled string noodles, called mian xian in Mandarin, have been made for around 2,000 years.

From BBC Jan. 13, 2014

The Northern Chinese restaurant is known for its meat-and-vegetable-stuffed pies known as xian bing as well as its savory pancakes, beef rolls and six-layer minced “homeland meat cake.”

From Los Angeles Times

Meanwhile, Indonesia’s exports momentum may moderate in the first half of this year, as the impact of front-loaded demand fades and commodity prices soften, RHB economist Wong Xian Yong said.

From The Wall Street Journal May 29, 2026

As BNP Paribas analyst Xian Siew put it, investor expectations had “come down meaningfully” since the last earnings report, given higher fuel prices and worries about profitability.

From MarketWatch Apr. 30, 2026

“The expansion of US budget deficits, which has seen the government buy more goods and services, is largely responsible for this healthy profits situation,” Xian wrote.

From Barron's Apr. 15, 2026

Russian TU-95MS strategic missile carriers and the Chinese air force's Xian H-6 strategic bombers were deployed, according to Russia.

From BBC Jul. 25, 2024

The card allotted to Gissing was marked, in Mr. Poodle's neat script, Friendly, but vague as to definite participation in Xian activities.

From Where the Blue Begins by Morley, Christopher

"We used to have more than a dozen people in our team. Now I reckon maybe four to five people are sufficient," the veteran seller from Xi'an said.

From Barron's Feb. 14, 2026

The team applied this approach in two major Chinese cities, Guangzhou and Xi'an.

From Science Daily Jan. 12, 2026

But cost might be a problem for others, and that's what worries Rosy Zhao, who lives in the city of Xi'an in central China.

From BBC Dec. 31, 2025

In July 2024, China and Russia flew Xi’an H-6 and Tu-95 Bear long-range bombers, respectively, on a joint patrol off the coast of Alaska.

From The Wall Street Journal Dec. 18, 2025

Their popularity surged during the pandemic, and Huang, a 20-year-old college student in Xi’an, China, became obsessed with the short mobile shows during a holiday break with her family.

From Los Angeles Times Mar. 16, 2025

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