: of, relating to, or characteristic of South Asia (a region of indefinite boundaries usually thought of as including all or some of the following countries: Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Maldives) or its people
plural South Asians
1
: a native or inhabitant of South Asia
2
: a person of South Asian descent
Examples of South Asian in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 17 Apr. 2026
Pakistan, a South Asian nation of more than 200 million people, played a key mediating role between Iran and the U.S. during their recent ceasefire efforts, though talks toward a broader peace deal collapsed in Islamabad, the country’s capital, last weekend.
—Will Clark, NBC news, 17 Apr. 2026
The restaurant’s front glass case is frequently lined with her cakes, cheesecakes, brownies and an assortment of classic South Asian items like kheer, a sweet rice pudding.
—Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
This has gotten easier as my career has progressed, but the roles popular culture can conceive of for South Asian women are not particularly exciting to me either — there is usually a sense of depth or humanity that people seem uncomfortable exploring.
—Supriya Ganesh, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026
These contractors typically reside in South Asian countries like India and are opportune initial targets for several reasons.
—Jessica Klein, PC Magazine, 11 Apr. 2026
Technology Modi Touts India as Hub for Affordable AI at New Delhi Summit
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented India as a hub for affordable and scalable artificial intelligence, saying innovations developed in the South Asian nation could be deployed globally.
—Anup Roy, Bloomberg, 19 Feb. 2026
Source: The Conversation Modern and contemporary Indian artists are gaining recognition
South Asian artists have struggled to achieve the repute equal to Western peers’, with few works making it to galleries and international fairs.
—Cameron Pugh, Christian Science Monitor, 27 May 2025
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Adjective
Honorable Gays is produced by France’s production banner, French Tuck Media, which focuses on scaling premium unscripted and documentary storytelling to amplify underrepresented voices and reflect the nuance and humor of South Asian and LGBTQ+ communities.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 17 Apr. 2026
Pakistan, a South Asian nation of more than 200 million people, played a key mediating role between Iran and the U.S. during their recent ceasefire efforts, though talks toward a broader peace deal collapsed in Islamabad, the country’s capital, last weekend.
—Will Clark, NBC news, 17 Apr. 2026
The restaurant’s front glass case is frequently lined with her cakes, cheesecakes, brownies and an assortment of classic South Asian items like kheer, a sweet rice pudding.
—Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
This has gotten easier as my career has progressed, but the roles popular culture can conceive of for South Asian women are not particularly exciting to me either — there is usually a sense of depth or humanity that people seem uncomfortable exploring.
—Supriya Ganesh, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026
These contractors typically reside in South Asian countries like India and are opportune initial targets for several reasons.
—Jessica Klein, PC Magazine, 11 Apr. 2026
Technology Modi Touts India as Hub for Affordable AI at New Delhi Summit
Gift this article
Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented India as a hub for affordable and scalable artificial intelligence, saying innovations developed in the South Asian nation could be deployed globally.
—Anup Roy, Bloomberg, 19 Feb. 2026
Source: The Conversation Modern and contemporary Indian artists are gaining recognition
South Asian artists have struggled to achieve the repute equal to Western peers’, with few works making it to galleries and international fairs.
—Cameron Pugh, Christian Science Monitor, 27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“South Asian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/South%20Asian. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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