xian
noun
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xian
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Xian
Xiannouna city in and the capital of Shaanxi province, in central China: capital of the ancient Chinese Empire.
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Xi'an
Xi'announan 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]
/ ʃyɑn /
noun
Xian
2
American
[shee-ahn]
/ ˈʃiˈɑn /
(Older Spellings)
Sian
or
Xi'an
noun
Pinyin.
Xi'an
British
/ ʃjɑːn /
noun
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.
"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
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
Mr Liu took his child to hospital in Xi'an for testing last week after other parents raised the alarm.
From BBC • Jul. 8, 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
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.
