Belgian

American  

[bel-juhn] / ˈbɛl dʒən /

noun

1. a native or an inhabitant of Belgium.

2. one of a breed of large, strong draft horses, raised originally in Belgium.

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adjective

1. of or relating to Belgium.

Belgian British  

/ ˈbɛldʒən /

noun

1. a native, citizen, or inhabitant of Belgium See also Fleming 1 Walloon

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Belgium or the Belgians

2. of or relating to the Walloon French or the Flemish languages

Other Word Forms

• anti-Belgian adjective
• pro-Belgian adjective
• pseudo-Belgian adjective

Etymology

Origin of Belgian

First recorded in 1615–25; Belgi(um) + -an

Example Sentences

To Jef Caers, a professor of earth and planetary sciences at Stanford University who happens to be Belgian, the museum’s stance looks like “delay tactics.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

A 93-year-old former Belgian diplomat ordered to stand trial over the 1961 killing of Congolese independence icon Patrice Lumumba has appealed the decision, his lawmaker said Friday.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

The Belgian prosecutor's office said the arrests had been carried out in Germany at the request of Belgian authorities.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

World champion Luke Littler was knocked out of the Belgian Darts Open in the third round with a 6-5 defeat by Niels Zonneveld.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

So Mr. Patrice will be the Prime Minister of the Congo now and it won’t be the Belgian Congo anymore, it will be the Republic of Congo.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver