Asian

1 of 2

adjective

ˈā-zhən 

also -shən

: 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.

Asian

2 of 2

noun

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

Adjective

The letter was penned after the Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan had reportedly joined both initiatives, a move which set off alarm bells in Washington. — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026

DeMarco Williams Calle Dragones Miami is a Cuban-Asian fusion restaurant doubling as a concert venue that cooks up fun on a nightly basis. — Demarco Williams, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Noun

Eric Lai, a senior fellow at Georgetown University’s Center for Asian Law and an expert on Hong Kong’s legal system, said the judgment was significant. — Chris Lau, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026

Eric Lai, a senior fellow with the Georgetown Center for Asian Law, said every actor in Hong Kong civil society who assumed that renouncing violence and working within the law would be fine has to revise that assumption. — Kanis Leung, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1550, in the meaning defined above

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing Asian

• anti-Asian
• Asian-American
• Asian carp
• Asian citrus psyllid
• Asian elephant
• Asian flu
• Asian giant hornet
• Asian hornet
• Asian influenza
• Asian longhorn beetle
• Asian long-horned beetle
• Asian pear
• Asian tiger mosquito
• East Asian
• South Asian
• Southeast Asian

Rhymes for Asian

• suasion
• abrasion
• caucasian
• equation
• eurasian
• evasion
• invasion
• occasion
• persuasion
• athanasian

Kids Definition

Asian

adjective

ˈā-zhən, 

ˈā-shən

: of, relating to, or characteristic of Asia or its people

Asian noun