Ethiopian

1 of 2

noun

Ethi·​o·​pi·​an ˌē-thē-ˈō-pē-ən 

1

: a native or inhabitant of Ethiopia

2

: a member of any of the mythical or actual peoples usually described by the ancient Greeks as dark-skinned and living far to the south

3

archaic : a Black person

Ethiopian

2 of 2

adjective

1

: of, relating to, or characteristic of the inhabitants or the country of Ethiopia

2

: of, relating to, or being the biogeographic region that includes Africa south of the Sahara, southern Arabia, and sometimes Madagascar and the adjacent islands

Examples of Ethiopian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Mosaic terrazzo floors with a palm motif are nods to both Tiberius’s villas here and the Ethiopian palm that once stood like an icon outside the hotel, which was felled by a storm in the 1960s. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026

Spend time with master art works by Rodin, Van Gogh and Turner – for free – and then grab a coffee or enjoy your pick of historic hamburger joints, food trucks, taco places and Ethiopian restaurants. — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026

In May, the patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church appealed to Saudi authorities to halt the execution of Ethiopian nationals. — ABC News, 29 July 2026

When ground into flour, teff can be used in breads, muffins, and injera, an Ethiopian flatbread, according to Zinn. — Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 22 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective

1557, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Ethiopian

• bupropion
• dystopian
• ectropion
• fallopian
• utopian