What does "indian" mean?
A person from India.
Indian
/ˈɪn.dɪ.ən/ adj, name, noun, slang
adj, name, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person from India.
- Grammar: indian is listed as adj, name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: american indian, american indian, american indian language, american-indian language.
- Useful contrasts: foreign, foreigner, non Indian.
- Usage evidence: At long last, the two chiefs of the Indian tribes have decided to make peace.
How to use "indian"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "indian" 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 "indian" 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 "indian" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "indian" 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 "indian" is acting as adj, name, noun, slang 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 "american indian" 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 "indian", 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 India. countable
"Young Indians looking for work opportunities have made up a sizeable portion of undocumented migrants in the US, many after making the dangerous trek through Latin America to reach the US southern border."
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of Indian (“indigene”). alt-of
- 3 any of the languages spoken by Amerindians wordnet
- 4 An American Indian, a member of one of the indigenous peoples of the Americas (generally excluding the Aleut, Inuit, Metis, and Yupik). countable
"We stigmatize the Indians, also, as cowardly and treacherous, because they use stratagem in warfare in preference to open force; but in this they are fully justified by their rude code of honor."
- 5 a native or inhabitant of India wordnet
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 An indigenous inhabitant of Australia, New Zealand or the Pacific islands. countable, obsolete
- 7 Ellipsis of Indian cuisine. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, uncountable
"Have you ever tried Indian?"
- 8 Ellipsis of Indian meal (“meal consisting of Indian cuisine”). UK, abbreviation, alt-of, colloquial, countable, ellipsis
"We're going out tonight for an Indian."
- 9 Ellipsis of Indian restaurant (“restaurant serving Indian cuisine”). UK, abbreviation, alt-of, colloquial, countable, ellipsis
"We're going down to the Indian for a curry—wanna join us?"
- 10 Ellipsis of Mardi Gras Indian. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis
- 11 A kind of marble (spherical toy) with colored bands on an opaque black base. countable, uncountable
Adjective
- 1 Of or relating to India or its people; or (formerly) of the East Indies.
"An IAF representative told an Indian parliamentary committee that due to the Ukraine war a “major delivery” from Moscow “is not going to take place.”"
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of Indian (“indigenous”). alt-of
- 3 Eastern; Oriental. obsolete
"The morrow next apprear'd with purple hayre / Yet dropping fresh out of the Indian fount, / And bringing light into the heavens fayre […]."
- 4 Of or relating to the indigenous peoples of the Americas.
"The hardships of bark-collecting in the primeval forests of South America are of the severest kind, and undergone only by the half-civilized Indians and people of mixed race, in the pay of speculators or companies located in the towns."
- 5 Made with Indian corn or maize. Canada, US
"Indian bread"
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Designating any of various chess openings now characterised by black's attempt to control the board through knights and fianchettoed bishops rather than with a central pawn advance.
Adjective
- 1 of or pertaining to Native Americans or their culture or languages wordnet
- 2 of or relating to or characteristic of India or the East Indies or their peoples or languages or cultures wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 Any of the (unrelated) languages spoken by American Indians. nonstandard
- 2 Any language spoken by natives of India, especially Hindi. nonstandard, rare
"[They said] 'Mutton can speak Indian', 'Mutton can see Kanchinjunga out of his bedroom window'[.]"
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"At long last, the two chiefs of the Indian tribes have decided to make peace."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "indian"?
Common synonyms include: american indian, american indian, american indian language, american-indian language, amerind, amerind.
How do you use "indian" in a sentence?
At long last, the two chiefs of the Indian tribes have decided to make peace.
How do you pronounce "indian"?
Pronounced /ˈɪn.dɪ.ən/.
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman indien, Middle French indien, corresponding to Ind + -ian or India + -an. Applied to inhabitants of the Americas due to an early misconception that the Americas were the eastern end of Asia / the Indies (hence also the designation of Caribbean islands as the West Indies).