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

Tenagne Belachew, chef at Lalibela, an Ethiopian restaurant on Fairfax Avenue, holds a traditional Ethiopian coffeepot. —Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026

The jury will be completed by Irish-Ethiopian actress and producer Ruth Negga, Belgian director and screenwriter Laura Wandel, Chinese director and screenwriter Chloé Zhao, Chilean filmmaker Diego Céspedes, IvorianAmerican actor Isaach De Bankolé and Scottish screenwriter Paul Laverty. —Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 4 May 2026

As the state’s largest city, home to around 430,000 people, Minneapolis blends its historic Swedish-immigrant past with more recent waves of Somali and Ethiopian arrivals during the early 1990s. —Kristine Hansen, Travel + Leisure, 4 May 2026

To this day, doro wat is Tedla’s favorite Ethiopian dish. —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 May 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
• fallopian
• utopian