Ethiopian

1 of 2

noun

Ethi·​o·​pi·​an ˌē-thē-ˈō-pē-ən 

1

: a native or inhabitant of Ethiopia

2

: a member of any of the mythical or actual peoples usually described by the ancient Greeks as dark-skinned and living far to the south

3

archaic : a Black person

Ethiopian

2 of 2

adjective

1

: of, relating to, or characteristic of the inhabitants or the country of Ethiopia

2

: of, relating to, or being the biogeographic region that includes Africa south of the Sahara, southern Arabia, and sometimes Madagascar and the adjacent islands

Examples of Ethiopian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The first generation Ethiopian American hails from Los Angeles and is no novice to big blockbuster musicals. —Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2025

There’s Ethiopian and Indian lager, and a cocktail list inspired by the spices of the Silk Road — think turmeric, black tea and black pepper. —John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2025

As a second-generation Ethiopian American, Kelela didn’t grow up listening to Mitchell, but became familiar with her music in her twenties, being drawn specifically to Mitchell’s jazz era. —Elise Brisco, Rolling Stone, 25 Feb. 2025

Handout from the Israel Defense Forces Mengistu, a Jewish Israeli of Ethiopian descent, was kidnapped while crossing the border into Gaza in 2015. —NBC News, 23 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective

1557, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Ethiopian

• bupropion
• dystopian
• fallopian
• utopian