Melanesian

noun

Mel·​a·​ne·​sian ˌme-lə-ˈnē-zhən 

-shən

1

: a member of the dominant native group of Melanesia

2

: a language group consisting of the Austronesian languages of Melanesia

Melanesian adjective

Examples of Melanesian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On December 2, Vanuatu and the Melanesian Spearhead Group opened the hearings giving, in essence, an opening argument. —Jon McGowan, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025

Vanuatu and the Melanesian Spearhead Group opened the hearings with a legal argument that countries with major greenhouse gas emissions should pay reparations for the damages of climate change. —Jon McGowan, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024

Vanuatu and the Melanesian Spearhead Group were given one hour to make an opening statement. —Jon McGowan, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024

Set in the warm waters of the southwest Pacific, some 1,500 km (930 miles) east of Australia, New Caledonia is home to 270,000 people, including 41% Melanesian Kanaks and 24% of European origin, mostly French. —Gabriel Stargardter, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Melanesian

• austronesian
• indonesian
• micronesian
• polynesian
• adhesion
• artesian
• cartesian
• cohesion
• elysian
• magnesian
• ferromagnesian
• friesian

Kids Definition

Melanesian

noun

Mel·​a·​ne·​sian ˌmel-ə-ˈnē-zhən 

-shən

: a member of the most numerous Indigenous group of Melanesia

Melanesian adjective