Ethiopian

1 of 2

noun

Ethi·​o·​pi·​an ˌē-thē-ˈō-pē-ən How to pronounce Ethiopian (audio)
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
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.
Adjective
Try cuisines from around the world: Indian, Ethiopian, Asian, Mediterranean. Toni Sciacqua, Oc Register, 4 Aug. 2025 The vessel, with 154 Ethiopian migrants on board, sank in the Gulf of Aden off the southern Yemeni province of Abyan early Sunday, Abdusattor Esoev, head of the International Organization for Migration in Yemen told The Associated Press. CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2025 For years, the Somali refugee had treated painting as a lonely release while living in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, a catharsis to express the pain and frustration of being stuck in a foreign land with few prospects and an uncertain future. Charlie Campbell, Time, 1 Aug. 2025 The victims reported that most of the perpetrators were Ethiopian or Eritrean soldiers, but also militiamen from the neighbouring Amhara region. Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for Ethiopian

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective

1557, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Ethiopian was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Ethiopian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Ethiopian. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

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