Pacific Islander

noun

plural Pacific Islanders

: a native or a descendant of a native of one of the islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, or Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean

Examples of Pacific Islander in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Markings depicted on an image of a Kalinga warrior from an indigenous group in the Philippines were inaccurate and none of the artists involved in creating the mural identified as Asian, Asian American or Pacific Islander. — Tania Azhang, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026

Asian American Arts Alliance (A4) announced the thirty-eight recipients of the last round of its A4 Arts Fund, which distributes $500,000 to arts and cultural organizations that support Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. — News Desk, Artforum, 25 Sep. 2026

Those categories include Black, Latino, Native American, Alaska Native and Pacific Islander students, according to the UC enrollment report cited in the notice. — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026

Nearly 28% also speak Spanish, while about 10% speak Asian or Pacific Islander languages. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

Pacific Islander

noun

: a native or a descendant of a native of Melanesia, Micronesia, or Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean