Ethiopian

[ ee-thee-oh-pee-uhn ]

adjective

1. of or relating to Ethiopia or to its inhabitants.
2. belonging to the part of Africa south of the equator.
3. Zoogeography. belonging to a geographical division comprising Africa south of the tropic of Cancer, the southern part of Arabia, and Madagascar.
4. Archaic. Black African.

noun

1. a native of Ethiopia.
2. a member of any of various supposedly dark-skinned peoples regarded by the ancients as coming from a country lying south of Egypt.
3. Archaic. a Black African.

Ethiopian

/ ˌiːθɪˈəʊpɪən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Ethiopia, its people, or any of their languages
2. of or denoting a zoogeographical region consisting of Africa south of the Sahara
3. obsolete.
   anthropol of or belonging to a postulated racial group characterized by dark skin, an oval elongated face, and thin lips, living chiefly in Africa south of the Sahara

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Ethiopia
2. any of the languages of Ethiopia, esp Amharic

noun

1. an archaic word for Black

Other Words From

• an·ti-E·thi·o·pi·an adjective noun
• pro-E·thi·o·pi·an adjective noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Ethiopian¹

First recorded in 1545–55; Ethiopi(a) + -an

Example Sentences

The immediate issue was how much water would be retained by the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam as it approached completion.

From BBC

It broke out in late 2020 between allied Ethiopian and Eritrean troops on one side and local Tigrayan fighters on the other, both fighting for control of the region.

From BBC

He has just returned from his trip transporting contraband from the Ethiopian border.

From BBC

How has her Ethiopian heritage influenced her career?

From BBC

Asmara had been an ally of the Ethiopian government in that conflict but has been lukewarm about the accord that ended the fighting in November 2022.

From BBC