: of, relating to, or characteristic of the continent of Asia or its people
Asian vs. Asiatic: Usage Guide
Asian is now solidly preferred to Asiatic; the latter persists mainly in the names of some kinds of flora and fauna.
an Asiatic lily
the Asiatic elephant
Asiatic still has some use as a geographical designator
the Asiatic side of the Bosporus
but has increasingly been considered offensive, especially as associated with the policies of colonialism.
1
: a native or inhabitant of Asia
2
: a person of Asian descent
Examples of Asian in a Sentence
Noun
There are many Asians living in South America.
Recent Examples on the Web
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 Dec. 2025
In some Asian cultures, such as Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese, people celebrate the Lunar New Year between late January and February to coincide with the first new moon on the lunar calendar.
—Ayana Archie, NPR, 29 Dec. 2025
Sacbee.com, 31 Dec. 2025
To pick one example, clicks from the query ‘Asian Squats,’ which used to drive lots of traffic to an archival piece, are down 90% this year.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for Asian
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
The evolution of Asian spinosaurids has remained enigmatic for a long time, pieced together mostly from isolated teeth.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 Dec. 2025
In some Asian cultures, such as Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese, people celebrate the Lunar New Year between late January and February to coincide with the first new moon on the lunar calendar.
—Ayana Archie, NPR, 29 Dec. 2025
Noun
The 60-day reprieve follows a class-action lawsuit filed against the state by five drivers and several civil rights groups, including the Asian Law Caucus, the Sikh Coalition and the Jakara Movement.
—Sacbee.com, 31 Dec. 2025
To pick one example, clicks from the query ‘Asian Squats,’ which used to drive lots of traffic to an archival piece, are down 90% this year.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for Asian
Cite this Entry
“Asian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Asian. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share