Asiatic
adjective
Asi·at·ic
ˌā-zhē-ˈa-tik 
-zē-
sometimes offensive
: asian
Asiatic
noun
sometimes offensive
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.
Examples of Asiatic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Asiatic lilies bloom reliably atop 2- to 5-foot sturdy stems and overwinter in the ground, so no lifting and storing is needed.
—
Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 27 Feb. 2026
It was previously believed that the Asiatic cheetah, called Acinonyx jubatus venaticus, was the only subspecies ever present in Saudi Arabia.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
Genomic sequencing further showed that the youngest of the cheetah mummies was closely related to what is now known as the Asiatic cheetah, while older specimens were more genetically aligned with the Northwest African cheetah.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 17 Jan. 2026
The ecological fallout has been severe; iconic species such as the Asiatic cheetahs face imminent extinction and the Siberian crane has now disappeared entirely from Iran’s wetlands.
—Shooka Bidarian, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
The older cheetah remains were more genetically similar to a Northwest African subspecies, whereas the more recent cheetah remains were more similar to the Asiatic cheetah, which is now mostly confined to a very small population in Iran.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 15 Jan. 2026
There are five cheetah subspecies, and the Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) is believed to have been the only subspecies that lived in present-day Saudi Arabia.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 15 Jan. 2026
Summer Bulbs Summer flowering bulbs, such as Asiatic lily, caladium, dahlia, elephant ears, and tuberous begonias, should be removed from the garden in zones 7 or below, where the ground is frozen solid for much of the winter.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 27 Dec. 2025
The Rajdhani Express, which was carrying around 650 passengers, was traveling through Assam when its driver spotted about 100 wild Asiatic elephants crossing the tracks and applied the emergency brakes.
—Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 20 Dec. 2025
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.
Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 27 Feb. 2026
It was previously believed that the Asiatic cheetah, called Acinonyx jubatus venaticus, was the only subspecies ever present in Saudi Arabia.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
Genomic sequencing further showed that the youngest of the cheetah mummies was closely related to what is now known as the Asiatic cheetah, while older specimens were more genetically aligned with the Northwest African cheetah.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 17 Jan. 2026
The ecological fallout has been severe; iconic species such as the Asiatic cheetahs face imminent extinction and the Siberian crane has now disappeared entirely from Iran’s wetlands.
—Shooka Bidarian, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
The older cheetah remains were more genetically similar to a Northwest African subspecies, whereas the more recent cheetah remains were more similar to the Asiatic cheetah, which is now mostly confined to a very small population in Iran.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 15 Jan. 2026
There are five cheetah subspecies, and the Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) is believed to have been the only subspecies that lived in present-day Saudi Arabia.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 15 Jan. 2026
Summer Bulbs Summer flowering bulbs, such as Asiatic lily, caladium, dahlia, elephant ears, and tuberous begonias, should be removed from the garden in zones 7 or below, where the ground is frozen solid for much of the winter.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 27 Dec. 2025
The Rajdhani Express, which was carrying around 650 passengers, was traveling through Assam when its driver spotted about 100 wild Asiatic elephants crossing the tracks and applied the emergency brakes.
—Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 20 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Asiatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Asiatic. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Asiatic
adjective
Asi·at·ic
ˌā-zhē-ˈat-ik
-zē-
sometimes offensive
: asian
Asiatic
noun
sometimes offensive
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
