occidental

1 of 2

adjective

oc·​ci·​den·​tal ˌäk-sə-ˈden-tᵊl How to pronounce occidental (audio)
often capitalized
1
: of, relating to, or situated in the Occident : western
2
: of or relating to Occidentals
occidentally adverb

Occidental

2 of 2

noun

: a member of one of the occidental peoples
especially : a person of European ancestry

Examples of occidental in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Adjective
Is there a more terrifying, fascinating, weirdly appealing time in the occidental imagination than the Middle Ages? Sara Holdren, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2023 Whenever Chinese interests were represented in some important conference or a Chinese was in difficulty in some misunderstanding of occidental customs, Tom played a helpful role. San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 July 2022
Noun
The after-tax equity method earnings have Berkshire’s proportionate share of profits attributable to its investments in Kraft Heinz (KHC), Occidental Petroleum (OXY), and Berkadia. Bill Stone, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024 Houston-based Occidental Petroleum (Oxy) is spearheading the STRATOS project, a $1 billion venture designed to remove 500,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually once commercially operational in mid-2025. Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for occidental 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin occidentālis, from occident-, occidens occident + -ālis -al entry 1

Noun

borrowed from Medieval Latin occidentālis, noun derivative of Latin occidentālis, adjective, occidental

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1538, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near occidental

Cite this Entry

“Occidental.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/occidental. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

occidental

1 of 2 adjective
oc·​ci·​den·​tal ˌäk-sə-ˈdent-ᵊl How to pronounce occidental (audio)
often capitalized
1
: of, relating to, or located in the Occident : western
2
: of or relating to Occidentals

Occidental

2 of 2 noun
: a person of European ancestry

More from Merriam-Webster on occidental

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