: 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 W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
How is this exhibition a continuation of National Gallery Singapore’s in-depth research into Asian art history?
—Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
David Brennan, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2025
In Southeast Asia, Malaysia’s Trade Minister Zafrul Abdul Aziz said his country will seek to forge a united response from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to Trump’s sweeping tariffs.
—Elaine Kurtenbach, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for Asian
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Adjective
What to Know East Asian stocks took a hit Monday morning, with Japan's Nikkei 225 dropping nearly 8 percent, South Korea's Kospi 200 dropping nearly 6 percent and Taiwan stocks dropped nearly 10 percent, triggering circuit breakers in those markets.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
How is this exhibition a continuation of National Gallery Singapore’s in-depth research into Asian art history?
—Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Noun
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index dropped 13.22% -- its worst one-day performance since 1997 during the Asian Financial Crisis -- with Chinese tech stocks like Alibaba and Baidu among the big losers.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2025
In Southeast Asia, Malaysia’s Trade Minister Zafrul Abdul Aziz said his country will seek to forge a united response from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to Trump’s sweeping tariffs.
—Elaine Kurtenbach, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 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 12 Apr. 2025.
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