Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Acronyms, Wikipedia. Of or relating to Asia or its peoples, languages, or cultures. A native or inhabitant asian chicken marinade Asia.

Though strictly speaking all of its inhabitants are Asians, in practice this term is applied almost exclusively to the peoples of East, Southeast, and South Asia as opposed to those of Southwest Asia—such as Arabs, Turks, Iranians, and Kurds—who are more usually designated Middle or Near Easterners. Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Usage: To refer to someone from the Indian subcontinent as an Asian is potentially offensive and should be avoided.

Asian as a noun and adjective is now generally the preferred and most commonly used term, especially for the ethnic designation. Specific names are also used, such as Korean and Pacific Islander. Asiatic is sometimes considered offensive, being associated with colonialism. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster’s page for free fun content.