Polynesian

noun

Poly·​ne·​sian ˌpä-lə-ˈnē-zhən  -shən 

1

: a member of any of the indigenous peoples of Polynesia

2

: a group of Austronesian languages spoken in Polynesia

Polynesian adjective

Examples of Polynesian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

His affection for the company ended when his younger brother, Tim, a lifeguard at the park's Polynesian Village Resort, dived into a lagoon, hit a submerged pylon, and wound up paralyzed and uncompensated. —Neal Rubin, Freep.com, 3 Aug. 2025

Human settlers arrived in New Zealand about seven centuries ago, first Polynesians and later Europeans. —New York Times, 25 July 2025

On the second floor, there are original concept drawings of the Polynesian—a reminder of how far the whole Disney experience has come. —Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 21 July 2025

Some of these performers include the Japanese percussion band San Diego Taiko and the Hiva Katoa Polynesian Dance Studio. —Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1807, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Polynesian

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

Kids Definition

Polynesian

noun

Poly·​ne·​sian ˌpäl-ə-ˈnē-zhən  -shən 

1

: a member of any of the Indigenous peoples of Polynesia

2

: a group of languages spoken in Polynesia

Polynesian adjective