: 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.
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
John Hopewell, Variety, 12 June 2026
The city, which has grown 61% in the last decade, is now majority minority with census data showing the population as 46% white, 34% Asian, 10% Latino and 10% Black.
—Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Andrew McNicol, CNN Money, 7 June 2026
Qatar lost all of their games in 2022 but redeemed themselves a year later by retaining the Asian Cup with a 3-1 victory over Jordan.
—Jay Harris, New York Times, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for Asian
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Adjective
The Shanghai Remakes event, organized by Spain’s Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts (ICAA), will see each company talk up the Asian market remake potential of their title for 10 minutes.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 12 June 2026
The city, which has grown 61% in the last decade, is now majority minority with census data showing the population as 46% white, 34% Asian, 10% Latino and 10% Black.
—Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Noun
At a celebratory exhibition match last week in the capital, under the watchful eye of the supreme leader, Naegohyang faced off against the under-17s team, who just added an Asian Cup to their impressive array of silverware, trouncing Japan 5-1 in the final.
—Andrew McNicol, CNN Money, 7 June 2026
Qatar lost all of their games in 2022 but redeemed themselves a year later by retaining the Asian Cup with a 3-1 victory over Jordan.
—Jay Harris, New York Times, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for Asian
Cite this Entry
“Asian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Asian. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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