: 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
Kapil Komireddi, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
The Ink Factory partnered with 127 Wall Productions in 2021 to finance a slate of Asian adaptations of John le Carré’s work, including the Hindi-language version of The Night Manager co-produced with Banijay Asia for Disney+ Hotstar.
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 22 Sep. 2025
Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 23 Sep. 2025
She also got involved participating in events like Miss Hawaii Asian America and volunteering for the nonprofit women’s health initiative Girls Talk Health.
—Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for Asian
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Adjective
Nepal is the third South Asian country in the past four years to stage a violent overthrow of its government.
—Kapil Komireddi, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
The Ink Factory partnered with 127 Wall Productions in 2021 to finance a slate of Asian adaptations of John le Carré’s work, including the Hindi-language version of The Night Manager co-produced with Banijay Asia for Disney+ Hotstar.
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 22 Sep. 2025
Noun
Summit Hospitality also operates Summit Grill, Third Street Social, Pearl Tavern and Boru Asian Eatery and Neighborhood Cafe.
—Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 23 Sep. 2025
She also got involved participating in events like Miss Hawaii Asian America and volunteering for the nonprofit women’s health initiative Girls Talk Health.
—Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 23 Sep. 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 24 Sep. 2025.
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