: 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
Anniek Bao, CNBC, 1 July 2025
In Asian trading, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 climbed 0.8% to 40,487.39.
—Elaine Kurtenbach, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2025
Sara Merican, Deadline, 1 July 2025
The show gained momentum at the Asian Television Forum in December 2022, where executive producer Michelle Chang pitched the concept to The One Enterprise.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for Asian
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Adjective
So far, the country's outbound shipments have held up relatively strong over the past two months, as exporters pivoted to alternative markets, notably Southeast Asian countries and European Union nations.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 1 July 2025
In Asian trading, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 climbed 0.8% to 40,487.39.
—Elaine Kurtenbach, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2025
Noun
The project took off at the Asian Television Forum (ATF) in Singapore in 2022, with executive producer Michelle Chang finding an overseas collaborator in Thailand’s The One Enterprise.
—Sara Merican, Deadline, 1 July 2025
The show gained momentum at the Asian Television Forum in December 2022, where executive producer Michelle Chang pitched the concept to The One Enterprise.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for Asian
Cite this Entry
“Asian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Asian. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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