Ethiopian

1 of 2

noun

Ethi·​o·​pi·​an ˌē-thē-ˈō-pē-ən How to pronounce Ethiopian (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Fasting is a big part of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, and many practitioners participate in Tsome Nebiyat (The Fast of the Prophets), a 43-day abstention from eating meat, fat, eggs and dairy products, ending on Ethiopian Christmas Eve. Chad De Guzman, TIME, 18 Dec. 2024 What's next: Shaw's former Ethiopian community center is transformed into a destination celebrating the Black diaspora: Sost, opening Friday. Anna Spiegel, Axios, 11 Dec. 2024 The Pavé Mini Hoops with Ethiopian Opal Drop, by Akaila Reid When designer Akaila Johnson pairs the mystery of Ethiopian opals with the clarity of white diamonds, sparks fly, to make these baby hoops feel like something really special. Kate Matthams, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024 The Ethiopian wolf is a reddish-brown solitary hunter only found in the highlands of Ethiopia. Ari Daniel, NPR, 7 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for Ethiopian 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective

1557, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Ethiopian was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near Ethiopian

Cite this Entry

“Ethiopian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Ethiopian. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!