: 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
John Liu, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2025
This cross-cultural approach reflects the team’s ambition to foster East Asian co-production opportunities.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025
Miranda Rake, Parents, 14 Oct. 2025
At the time, the university didn't offer a single course on Puerto Ricans, Chicanos, Native Americans or Asian Americans, according to the report.
—Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for Asian
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Adjective
China’s sweeping new restrictions, some of which won’t take effect until November, could deal a huge blow to East Asian economies, such as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, which play critical roles in the global tech and artificial intelligence supply chain, as well as the auto industries.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2025
This cross-cultural approach reflects the team’s ambition to foster East Asian co-production opportunities.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
Hyeyoung Woo, PhD, a professor of sociology and director of the Institute for Asian Studies at Portland State University and whose research focuses on modern Korean society and culture, agrees with Kang and Lee’s take.
—Miranda Rake, Parents, 14 Oct. 2025
At the time, the university didn't offer a single course on Puerto Ricans, Chicanos, Native Americans or Asian Americans, according to the report.
—Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 14 Oct. 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 17 Oct. 2025.
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