Visayan

noun

Vi·​sa·​yan və-ˈsī-ən How to pronounce Visayan (audio)
variants or less commonly Bisayan
bə-ˈsī-ən How to pronounce Visayan (audio)
1
: a member of any of several peoples in the Visayan Islands, Philippines
2
: the group of Austronesian languages of the Bisayans

Examples of Visayan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The New York Times A strong, 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck in the Visayan Sea on Tuesday, according to the United States Geological Survey. — William B. Davis, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025 Its name is derived from the regional Visayan slang word for slacker. — Daysia Tolentino, NBC News, 29 July 2024 More than half a million people felt strong shaking across the Visayan Islands, which include Cebu, Biliran and Leyte, according to estimates from the US Geological Survey. — Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for Visayan

Word History

First Known Use

1951, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Visayan was in 1951

Rhymes for Visayan

See All Rhymes for Visayan

Browse Nearby Words

vis-à-vis
Visayan
Visayan Islands
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Visayan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Visayan. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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