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

Gachon has been operating 02 Fakarava on the atoll for a decade while also serving stints as the president of the French Polynesian Union of Diving Centers. —Joe Sills, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025

An edge rusher, Jones has already been selected to both the Under Armour All-America Game and Polynesian Bowl. —Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2025

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

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