occidental

1 of 2

adjective

oc·​ci·​den·​tal ˌäk-sə-ˈden-tᵊl 

often capitalized

1

: of, relating to, or situated in the Occident : western

2

: of or relating to Occidentals

occidentally adverb

Occidental

2 of 2

noun

: a member of one of the occidental peoples

especially : a person of European ancestry

Examples of occidental in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Is there a more terrifying, fascinating, weirdly appealing time in the occidental imagination than the Middle Ages? —Sara Holdren, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2023

Whenever Chinese interests were represented in some important conference or a Chinese was in difficulty in some misunderstanding of occidental customs, Tom played a helpful role. —San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 July 2022

Noun

Dividend Growth Stock #3: California Resources (CRC) California Resources (CRC) is a mid-cap energy E&P firm that was spun off of Occidental Petroleum (OXY) in 2014. —Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025

The main lot of Occidental Studios, a complex near downtown Los Angeles that touts its legacy dating back to the silent film era, is on the market. —Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 24 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin occidentālis, from occident-, occidens occident + -ālis -al entry 1

Noun

borrowed from Medieval Latin occidentālis, noun derivative of Latin occidentālis, adjective, occidental

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1538, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for occidental

• accidental
• compartmental
• continental
• detrimental
• elemental
• fundamental
• governmental
• incidental
• incremental
• instrumental
• interdental
• monumental

Kids Definition

occidental

1 of 2 adjective

oc·​ci·​den·​tal ˌäk-sə-ˈdent-ᵊl 

often capitalized

1

: of, relating to, or located in the Occident : western

2

: of or relating to Occidentals

Occidental

2 of 2 noun

: a person of European ancestry