Ethiopian

1 of 2

noun

Ethi·​o·​pi·​an ˌē-thē-ˈō-pē-ən 

1

: a native or inhabitant of Ethiopia

2

: a member of any of the mythical or actual peoples usually described by the ancient Greeks as dark-skinned and living far to the south

3

archaic : a Black person

Ethiopian

2 of 2

adjective

1

: of, relating to, or characteristic of the inhabitants or the country of Ethiopia

2

: of, relating to, or being the biogeographic region that includes Africa south of the Sahara, southern Arabia, and sometimes Madagascar and the adjacent islands

Examples of Ethiopian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

To learn more about the plume, Earth scientists at the University of Southampton sampled over 130 volcanic rocks from Afar and the Main Ethiopian Rift. —Jay Kakade july 05, New Atlas, 5 July 2025

The dam is located about 311 miles northwest of the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. —Samuel Getachew, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2025

Jonah was one of four Ethiopian children adopted by the couple in 2012, about three years before Matt Bevin ran for governor on a platform that in part aimed to reform the state's adoption and foster care system. —Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025

To study what lies beneath, researchers collected over 100 volcanic rock samples from across Afar and the Main Ethiopian Rift. —Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 2 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective

1557, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Ethiopian

• bupropion
• dystopian
• fallopian
• utopian