: of, relating to, or characteristic of the continent of Asia or its people
Asian vs. Asiatic: Usage Guide
Asian is now solidly preferred to Asiatic; the latter persists mainly in the names of some kinds of flora and fauna.
an Asiatic lily
the Asiatic elephant
Asiatic still has some use as a geographical designator
the Asiatic side of the Bosporus
but has increasingly been considered offensive, especially as associated with the policies of colonialism.
1
: a native or inhabitant of Asia
2
: a person of Asian descent
Examples of Asian in a Sentence
Noun
There are many Asians living in South America.
Recent Examples on the Web
CBS News, 19 June 2026
Many Asian countries, especially in South and Southeast Asia, that rely on Middle Eastern energy and fertilizer supplies, have faced fuel crunches and higher prices for household goods and food in the past three months.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 19 June 2026
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 June 2026
Marcos, who currently holds the rotating presidency of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, led leaders of the 11-nation bloc in commemorating the 35th anniversary of ASEAN's diplomatic relations with Russia.
—CBS News, 20 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for Asian
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Adjective
The 33-year-old Son is looking to become South Korea's top goal scorer at the World Cup and the Asian player with the most goals in the tournament.
—CBS News, 19 June 2026
Many Asian countries, especially in South and Southeast Asia, that rely on Middle Eastern energy and fertilizer supplies, have faced fuel crunches and higher prices for household goods and food in the past three months.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 19 June 2026
Noun
The Bangladesh-Germany co-production, produced by Manoj Pramanik and German co-producer Christoph Thoke of Mogador Film, world premiered in the Asian New Talent section.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 June 2026
Marcos, who currently holds the rotating presidency of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, led leaders of the 11-nation bloc in commemorating the 35th anniversary of ASEAN's diplomatic relations with Russia.
—CBS News, 20 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for Asian
Cite this Entry
“Asian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Asian. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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