oriental

[ awr-ee-en-tl ]

adjective

1. Usually Oriental.
   1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Orient or the East, typically East Asia; Eastern:

      The living room had a gorgeous Oriental rug.

      In the late 1950s, the university began offering degrees in Oriental philosophy.

   2. Older Use: Often Disparaging and Offensive. (of a person or group of people) being from the East, typically East Asia; Asian.
2. of the orient, or the eastern region of the world or heavens: stars in the oriental sky.

   oriental countries;

   stars in the oriental sky.

3. Oriental, Zoogeography. belonging to a geographical division comprising southern Asia and the Malay Archipelago as far as and including the Philippines, Borneo, and Java:

   This genera has twelve Oriental species, and two Australian ones.

4. Also Oriental. Jewelry.
   1. designating various gems that are varieties of corundum:

      oriental aquamarine;

      oriental ruby.

   2. fine or precious; orient:

      oriental agate;

      oriental garnet.

   3. designating certain natural saltwater pearls found especially in Asia.

noun

1. Usually Oriental. Older Use: Usually Disparaging and Offensive. a native or inhabitant of the Orient, or East.

Oriental

¹

/ ˌɔːrɪˈɛntəl /

adjective

1. sometimes not capital of or relating to the Orient
2. of or denoting a zoogeographical region consisting of southeastern Asia from India to Borneo, Java, and the Philippines

noun

1. a breed of slender muscular cat with large ears, long legs, and a long tail
2. sometimes not capital an inhabitant, esp a native, of the Orient

oriental

²

/ ˌɔːrɪˈɛntəl /

adjective

1. another word for eastern Compare occidental

Sensitive Note

Is it Asian, Asiatic, or Oriental? See Asian.

Other Words From

• o·ri·en·tal·ly adverb
• an·ti-O·ri·en·tal adjective noun
• half-o·ri·en·tal adjective
• non·o·ri·en·tal adjective noun
• pseu·do·o·ri·en·tal adjective
• qua·si-o·ri·en·tal adjective
• sem·i·o·ri·en·tal adjective
• un·o·ri·en·tal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of oriental¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin orientālis, from orient-, stem of oriēns “the east, sunrise,” literally, “rising” + -ālis, adjective suffix; equivalent to orient none + -al ¹none

Example Sentences

This program is being carried out over an area that extends 1.5 miles from each site where the oriental fruit flies were trapped, according to the food and agriculture department.

From Los Angeles Times

Professor Hammer, head of an oriental studies department.

From Los Angeles Times

Machine forms collide with digital fictions to compose a corporate odalisque now in bed with the vast “oriental” wealth of Saudi criminals.

From Los Angeles Times

The two main forms of this highly skilled technique are Australian string work and oriental string work.

From Salon

Described as "a love drama", the 63-minute film was directed by British filmmaker JL Freer Hunt and boasted that it "featured actual royal palaces and scenes of oriental splendour".

From BBC