Tibetan

American  

[ti-bet-n] / tɪˈbɛt n /

Or Thibetan

adjective

1. of or relating to Tibet, its inhabitants, or their language.

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noun

1. a member of the people native to or inhabiting Tibet.

2. the Sino-Tibetan language of Tibet, especially in its standard literary form.

Tibetan British  

/ tɪˈbɛtən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Tibet, its people, or their language

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Tibet

2. the language of Tibet, belonging to the Sino-Tibetan family

Etymology

Origin of Tibetan

First recorded in 1740–50; Tibet + -an

Example Sentences

A genetic adaptation that allows animals such as yaks and Tibetan antelopes to survive in thin air may also point to a new way to repair nerve damage in humans.

From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2026

Authorities also sent Tibetan children to state-run boarding schools at ever-younger ages, educating them predominantly in Mandarin and inculcating Chinese culture.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

Expanding seismic networks, especially in remote regions like the Tibetan Plateau north of the Himalayas, would probably reveal more mantle quakes.

From Science Daily • Feb. 20, 2026

He feared the Tibetan mastiff's behaviour issues were putting his children at risk and, after several attempts to rehabilitate her, decided to use Save A Paw.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

It was as if she had the Tibetan gift of placing her skinny adolescent frame in her client’s hands and transporting her soul to some distant place.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende