What does "asian" mean?
A person from the continent of Asia, or a descendant thereof - especially:; A person from or with ancestry in East or Southeast Asia, occasionally South Asia.
Asian
/ˈeɪʒən/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Uncommon ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person from the continent of Asia, or a descendant thereof - especially:; A person from or with ancestry in East or Southeast Asia, occasionally South Asia.
- Grammar: asian is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: asiatic, asian indian, asian individual, asian person.
- Useful contrasts: non asian region, European, Western.
- Usage evidence: I think this kind of custom is unique to Asian countries.
How to use "asian"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "asian" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "asian" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "asian" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "asian" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "asian" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "asiatic" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "asian", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A person from the continent of Asia, or a descendant thereof - especially:; A person from or with ancestry in East or Southeast Asia, occasionally South Asia. Australia, Canada, New-Zealand, US
"Hate crimes and attacks on Asians have captured the local news and the national attention since 2020, producing a stream of content that showed innocent people being attacked and belittled in never-ending variations on the same violent theme."
- 2 a native or inhabitant of Asia wordnet
- 3 A person from the continent of Asia, or a descendant thereof - especially:; A person from or with ancestry in South Asia. British, Kenya, South-Africa, Uganda
"We call upon you to be ready to take over from the non-citizens who are leaving the country. As you are aware, I, on Wednesday the 9th August, 1972, signed a Decree revoking with effect from that date, all entry permits and certificates of residence which had been granted to British citizens of Asian origin and the nationals of India, Pakistan and Bangla Desh. They were, however, permitted to stay in Uganda for a period of 90 days from that day [...]"
- 4 A domestic cat of a breed similar to the Burmese.
Adjective
- 1 Of, relating to or from Asia. not-comparable
"There are white, black, Asian and Chinese Britons"
Adjective
- 1 of or relating to or characteristic of Asia or the peoples of Asia or their languages or culture wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"I think this kind of custom is unique to Asian countries."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "asian"?
Common synonyms include: asiatic, asian indian, asian individual, asian person, asians, asiatic.
How do you use "asian" in a sentence?
I think this kind of custom is unique to Asian countries.
How do you pronounce "asian"?
Pronounced /ˈeɪʒən/.
Etymology
From Latin āsiānus. By surface analysis, Asia + -an. The modern North American and Australasian usage, referring to East and Southeast Asians collectively, seems to be a shortened form of "Asian American", a term whose origins activists and academics trace back to 1968 and University of California, Berkeley (UCLA) students Yuji Ichioka and Emma Gee, who, inspired by the Black Power Movement and the protests against the Vietnam War, founded the "Asian American Political Alliance" as a way to unite Japanese, Chinese, and Filipino American students on campus. It replaced the term "Mongoloid", but still continued the racial grouping of "Mongoloid". The usage in Britain and some of its former colonies such as South Africa, Kenya and Uganda, stems from South Asians historically forming the bulk of immigrants from the continent of Asia to these places. In the rest of the Anglosphere, the word "Asian" is sometimes, albeit less frequently, used to refer to South Asians and Central Asians, but rarely (if ever) to Near Easterners.