To save this word, you'll need to log in.
Pap·u·an | \ ˈpa-pyə-wən 
, -pə- \
, -pə- \Definition of Papuan
1 : a native or inhabitant of Papua
2 : a member of any of the native peoples of New Guinea and adjacent areas of Melanesia
3 : any of a heterogeneous group of languages spoken in New Guinea, New Britain, and the Solomon islands
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on Papuan
What made you want to look up Papuan? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Semantic Drift Quiz
- Which of the following was once a synonym for fun?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
Share Papuan
Time Traveler for Papuan
The first known use of Papuan was in 1786
See more words from the same year