: of, relating to, or characteristic of the continent of Asia or its people
Asian vs. Asiatic: Usage Guide
Asian is now solidly preferred to Asiatic; the latter persists mainly in the names of some kinds of flora and fauna.
an Asiatic lily
the Asiatic elephant
Asiatic still has some use as a geographical designator
the Asiatic side of the Bosporus
but has increasingly been considered offensive, especially as associated with the policies of colonialism.
1
: a native or inhabitant of Asia
2
: a person of Asian descent
Examples of Asian in a Sentence
Noun
There are many Asians living in South America.
Recent Examples on the Web
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
5 July 2026
The East Asian country has the world’s oldest population, with almost 30% of its residents over the age of 65.
—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
3 July 2026
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
3 July 2026
Japanese clubs often do well in international competition; indeed, the Asian Champions League has seen teams from the country lift the trophy eight times, with Urawa Red Diamonds second-top in the list of all-time winners.
—
Simon Chadwick,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for Asian
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Adjective
The company, which calls itself the largest and fastest-growing Asian restaurant company in the world, also added chicken nuggets to its menu on Thursday, July 2.
—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
5 July 2026
The East Asian country has the world’s oldest population, with almost 30% of its residents over the age of 65.
—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
3 July 2026
Noun
The deal was unveiled during DANAFF Industry Days at the fourth Danang Asian Film Festival, a program launched to connect Vietnamese content producers with buyers from abroad.
—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
3 July 2026
Japanese clubs often do well in international competition; indeed, the Asian Champions League has seen teams from the country lift the trophy eight times, with Urawa Red Diamonds second-top in the list of all-time winners.
—
Simon Chadwick,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for Asian
Cite this Entry
“Asian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Asian. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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