Caribbean

[ kar-uh-bee-uhn, kuh-rib-ee- ]

adjective

1. of or relating to the islands or region of the Caribbean Sea, or to its inhabitants.
2. of or relating to the Carib people.

noun

1. the Caribbean Sea.
2. the Caribbean, the islands and countries of the Caribbean Sea collectively.
3. a native or inhabitant of a Caribbean country.
4. a Carib.

Caribbean

/ kəˈrɪbɪən; ˌkærɪˈbiːən /

adjective

1. of, or relating to, the Caribbean Sea and its islands
2. of, or relating to, the Carib or any of their languages

noun

1. the Caribbean
   the states and islands of the Caribbean Sea, including the West Indies, when considered as a geopolitical region
2. short for the Caribbean Sea
3. a member of any of the peoples inhabiting the islands of the Caribbean Sea, such as a West Indian or a Carib

Usage Note

Caribbean is used as a plural noun (a candidate favored by Caribbeans ), but it's relatively rare as a singular noun (the candidate who is a Caribbean ).

Other Words From

• in·ter-Car·ib·be·an adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Caribbean¹

First recorded in 1650–60; from New Latin Carib(b)aeus, adjective formed from New Latin plural noun Caribes, from Spanish and Portuguese singular noun caribe Carib ( def ); cannibal ( def ), caribe ( def )

Example Sentences

The paper hypothesizes that it is possible that manatees were not present at all in precolonial Florida and the tools and ornaments arrived here via Native Americans trading with those from the Caribbean.

From Science Daily

Aldo Croquer, a marine conservation program manager for the Central Caribbean in Nature Conservancy, said that coral reefs have weathered many cataclysmic events in Earth’s history, but they may not survive humanity.

From Salon

The rich culture of these African and Caribbean communities can be experienced in restaurants, bars and cultural institutions.

From New York Times

We sent Paul a list of the allegations we wanted him to respond to, and his PR team requested we travel to the Caribbean island, so he could answer in person.

From BBC

Concacaf, the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football, opened an investigation and have taken action against Honduras for "failing to implement adequate stadium security measures".

From BBC