Asian

1 of 2

adjective

ˈā-zhən How to pronounce Asian (audio)
 also  -shən
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the continent of Asia or its people
Asian vs. Asiatic: Usage Guide

Asian is now solidly preferred to Asiatic; the latter persists mainly in the names of some kinds of flora and fauna.

an Asiatic lily
the Asiatic elephant

Asiatic still has some use as a geographical designator

the Asiatic side of the Bosporus

but has increasingly been considered offensive, especially as associated with the policies of colonialism.

Asian

2 of 2

noun

1
: a native or inhabitant of Asia
2
: a person of Asian descent

Examples of Asian in a Sentence

Noun There are many Asians living in South America.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The spectacular rooftop is decidedly the property’s crowning jewel — head up there early to snag a spot at Ginkgo Sky Bar, a colorful collision of Asian and Spanish influences with frequent live music. Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2024 Sacramento County Health inspectors closed a local Asian fusion restaurant due to a lack of sanitizer for washing dishes. Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 26 Apr. 2024 Police described the person as a 20 to 30 year old Asian male with long black hair. Caelyn Pender, The Mercury News, 26 Apr. 2024 At that moment in time, there was a rise in Asian hate. Clayton Davis, Variety, 26 Apr. 2024 General fertility declined 5% for Black women as well as American Indian and Alaska Native women and 3% for Asian women, according to the report. Sydney Lake, Fortune, 26 Apr. 2024 The student body is now nearly 20 percent Asian, nearly 16 percent Latino, more than 6 percent Black and more than 27 percent international. Shawn Hubler, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2024 He is ranked 77th in the world in men’s marathon by World Athletics and is expected to lead the way for Asian runners in the upcoming Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. Andrew McNicol, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024 As first reported by The Guardian on April 4, several of the companies took to social media to complain the letters were unfair, particularly since most of the brands are small and David Chang and Momofuku are so well known in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. Mae Anderson, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
Noun
What will the weather be like this weekend for Asian Food Fest? The Enquirer, 26 Apr. 2024 Many of the metro area’s best new restaurants offer creative takes on traditional Chinese, Vietnamese and other diverse Asian cuisines, which makes the 2nd annual Mile High Asian Food Week an idea worth bringing back. Tiney Ricciardi, The Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2024 The Gold Gala serves as an annual gathering of top Asian Pacific and multicultural leaders, convening more than 600 guests to celebrate the 2024 A100 List — the 100 most impactful Asian Pacific changemakers in culture and society over the past year, which will be announced May 1. Kirsten Chuba, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Apr. 2024 Rates also inched up for Asian, White and Hispanic women. Alexander Tin, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2024 The 2022 survey was the first time data was disaggregated for Asian Americans, who had the highest average family wealth of any group that year at $1.8 million. Isabela Espadas Barros Leal, NBC News, 25 Apr. 2024 The definitive annual gathering of top Asian Pacific and multicultural leaders will bring together more than 600 guests to celebrate the 2024 A100 list — which will be announced on May 1 — which counts down the 100 most impactful Asian Pacific changemakers in culture and society over the past year. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 25 Apr. 2024 The list highlights the 100 most impactful Asian Pacific changemakers in culture and society over the past year. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 25 Apr. 2024 But as the group drew closer to the finish line, the Chinese athlete, 25-year-old Asian Games marathon gold medallist He Jie, began to fall behind. TIME, 16 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Asian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1550, in the meaning defined above

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Asian was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near Asian

Cite this Entry

“Asian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Asian. Accessed 3 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

Asian

adjective
ˈā-zhən,
ˈā-shən
: of, relating to, or characteristic of Asia or its people
Asian noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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