Polynesian
noun
Poly·ne·sian
ˌpä-lə-ˈnē-zhən 
-shən
-shən
1
: a member of any of the indigenous peoples of Polynesia
2
: a group of Austronesian languages spoken in Polynesia
Polynesian
adjective
Examples of Polynesian in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The late promoter took over Polynesian Pro Wrestling, the National Wrestling Alliance’s territory in Hawaii, after her husband died in 1982, according to the WWE.
—
Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 3 Apr. 2024
The expedition also had a secondary aim involving a Polynesian named Mai.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
Humans arrived in Rapa Nui around the 12th century, probably not long after Polynesians reached the Hawaiian archipelago.
—Daniel Lewis, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Mar. 2024
So, using research by the French Polynesian Institut Louis Malardé, Tetiaroa breeds and releases millions of male mosquitos whose bacteria makes the female bloodsuckers effectively sterile.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024
This allows a jumpstart on the fun ahead of official hotel check-in at 3:00 p.m. All Disney hotels will receive this benefit, from Value hotels, like Disney’s All-Star Resorts, to Deluxe accommodations, like Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.
—Carly Caramanna, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2024
The park’s website says the Samoan culture is the oldest in Polynesia, and nearly everyone in American Samoa is Indigenous Samoan of Polynesian ancestry.
—Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2024
The Polynesian is one of the few places guests can get Dole Whip outside of the parks.
—Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2024
They are thought to have been hewn between the 12th and 17th centuries, after Polynesians voyaged to the middle of the earth’s largest ocean in search of new lands, came upon a fertile, unpopulated island, and settled there.
—Mark Johanson, Travel + Leisure, 19 Jan. 2024
Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 3 Apr. 2024
The expedition also had a secondary aim involving a Polynesian named Mai.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
Humans arrived in Rapa Nui around the 12th century, probably not long after Polynesians reached the Hawaiian archipelago.
—Daniel Lewis, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Mar. 2024
So, using research by the French Polynesian Institut Louis Malardé, Tetiaroa breeds and releases millions of male mosquitos whose bacteria makes the female bloodsuckers effectively sterile.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024
This allows a jumpstart on the fun ahead of official hotel check-in at 3:00 p.m. All Disney hotels will receive this benefit, from Value hotels, like Disney’s All-Star Resorts, to Deluxe accommodations, like Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.
—Carly Caramanna, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2024
The park’s website says the Samoan culture is the oldest in Polynesia, and nearly everyone in American Samoa is Indigenous Samoan of Polynesian ancestry.
—Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2024
The Polynesian is one of the few places guests can get Dole Whip outside of the parks.
—Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2024
They are thought to have been hewn between the 12th and 17th centuries, after Polynesians voyaged to the middle of the earth’s largest ocean in search of new lands, came upon a fertile, unpopulated island, and settled there.
—Mark Johanson, Travel + Leisure, 19 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Polynesian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near Polynesian
Cite this Entry
“Polynesian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Polynesian. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Polynesian
noun
Poly·ne·sian
ˌpäl-ə-ˈnē-zhən
-shən
-shən
1
: a member of any of the native peoples of Polynesia
2
: a group of languages spoken in Polynesia
Polynesian
adjective
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