Rastafarian

[ ras-tuh-fair-ee-uhn, -fahr-, rah-stuh- ]

noun

1. a follower of Rastafarianism.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Rastafarianism or Rastafarians.

Rastafarian

/ ˌræstəˈfɛərɪən /

noun

1. a member of an originally Jamaican religion that regards Ras Tafari (the former emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie) as God

adjective

1. of, characteristic of, or relating to the Rastafarians

Word History and Origins

Origin of Rastafarian¹

First recorded in 1935; from Amharic ras täfäri “Prince Tafari,” the pre-coronation name of Haile Selassie ( ras “prince,” originally, “head”; täfäri an Amharic personal name, literally, “(one to be) feared, respected,” present participle from passive stem of the verb färra “fear, respect”) + -an

Example Sentences

Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, said that Rastafarian inmates in Louisiana must be allowed to keep their dreadlocks under a 2000 federal law protecting prisoners’ religious freedom.

From New York Times

Troops of certain faiths, such as Sikhs, Muslims and Rastafarians, were already allowed to grow full beards as long as they did not put their operational effectiveness, health or safety at risk.

From BBC

Other winners included poet Safiya Sinclair, who took the autobiography prize for her acclaimed memoir “How to Say Babylon,” about her Jamaican childhood and strict Rastafarian upbringing.

From Seattle Times

A coastal province where the majority of pineapple plantations in the country are located, Limón is known for its Rastafarian culture, wildlife sanctuaries and late fall carnival celebrations.

From Salon

But moviegoers from a wide range turned out for the first big-screen biopic of the Rastafarian legend.

From Seattle Times