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

Through seven sculptures, Ethiopian American artist Tsedaye Makonnen confronts the dehumanization of Black women, femme people and their communities. —Washington Post Staff, Washington Post, 15 May 2026

Each place does its own rendition of an Ethiopian coffee ceremony, which traditionally includes roasting coffee beans in a pan, followed by hand-grinding and clay-pot brewing and serving. —Colin Wrenn, Denver Post, 13 May 2026

Take The Garden of the Broken-Hearted (2026), a new work by British Ethiopian artist Theo Eshetu in which a live olive tree is mounted on a rotating dais, while a video of the tree in nature is projected onto it. —Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 12 May 2026

Tenagne Belachew, chef at Lalibela, an Ethiopian restaurant on Fairfax Avenue, holds a traditional Ethiopian coffeepot. —Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026

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
• ectropion
• fallopian
• utopian