South Asian

1 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or characteristic of South Asia (a region of indefinite boundaries usually thought of as including all or some of the following countries: Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Maldives) or its people

South Asian

2 of 2

noun

plural South Asians

1

: a native or inhabitant of South Asia

2

: a person of South Asian descent

Examples of South Asian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Jalebi Chat — accented with nylon sev (a thin, crispy Indian snack made from chickpea flour) and silver varaq (a thin, edible sheet of silver used in South Asian treats). — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026

My current book project is about cinematic adaptations of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, a South Asian epic tradition about a catastrophic war. — Sohini Sarah Pillai, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026

There’s also going to be a notable South Asian presence at Frieze Abu Dhabi next month, too. — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 12 Oct. 2026

Witnesses described the suspect as a South Asian male standing 5 feet 7 inches tall with a dark complexion, short hair on the sides, and long curly hair on the top. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1821, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1854, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for South Asian

• abrasion
• caucasian
• equation
• eurasian
• evasion
• invasion
• occasion
• persuasion
• athanasian
• suasion