Asian

[ ey-zhuhn, ey-shuhn ]

adjective

1. of, belonging to, or characteristic of Asia or its inhabitants.

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Asia or a person of Asian descent.

Asian

/ ˈeɪʃən; ˈeɪʒən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Asia or to any of its peoples or languages
2. of or relating to natives of the Indian subcontinent or any of their descendants, esp when living in Britain

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Asia or a descendant of one
2. a native of the Indian subcontinent or a descendant of one

Usage

To refer to someone from the Indian subcontinent as an Asian is potentially offensive and should be avoided. If you are talking about one specific group, it is better to say so, for instance people of Indian descent

Sensitive Note

Asian is the most commonly used term referring to people in or from Asia, especially East Asia. In American English, Oriental as a noun or adjective applied to people is outdated and has become a sensitive term to be avoided. It is associated with a bygone era in which Asians had subordinate status and their culture was perceived as strange and exotic. Also, the origin of the term Oriental represents a Eurocentric view of geography, since the Orient, or East, is east of Europe. However, Oriental is a neutral, inoffensive term when used as an adjective describing Asian culture or things from Asia. Similarly, the term Asiatic is usually offensive when referring to people, but neutral when referring to Asian culture, animals, etc. Though Asian is an acceptable ethnic designation in most contexts, it is best to be as specific as possible, rather than to group all Asians into a single cultural identity. In general, people of South, Southeast, and East Asian origin prefer to be identified by their country of origin: for example, Indian, Pakistani, Indonesian, Korean, Japanese, or Chinese. The people of the Middle East and Polynesia are not usually referred to as Asian.

Other Words From

• an·ti-A·sian adjective noun
• half-A·sian adjective noun
• non-A·sian adjective noun
• pro-A·sian adjective noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Asian¹

First recorded in 1555–65; from Latin Asiānus, from Greek Asiānós; Asia, -an

Example Sentences

He told us that our information was “false” and that he ran “a business supplying exclusively civilian goods manufactured in Asian countries”.

From BBC

When I was a kid, I thought Manchester United's Ji Sung Park was the best an Asian player could be.

From BBC

As a child, I accompanied my mother to buy ingredients for Nigerian dishes in Upton Park, an area of East London known for its South Asian community.

From New York Times

Steel and Tran both focused heavily on outreach to Asian American voters, who make up a plurality of the district that runs through 17 cities including Garden Grove, Westminster, Fountain Valley, Buena Park and Cerritos.

From Los Angeles Times

It is also trying to repair its relationship with the UK and Europe, while mending historical grievances with Asian neighbours, South Korea and Japan.

From BBC