oriental

[ awr-ee-en-tl ]

adjective
  1. Usually Oriental .

    • of, relating to, or characteristic of the Orient or the East, typically East Asia; Eastern: The living room had a gorgeous Oriental rug.In the late 1950s, the university began offering degrees in Oriental philosophy.

    • Older Use: Often Disparaging and Offensive. (of a person or group of people) being from the East, typically East Asia; Asian.: See Usage note at Asian.

  2. of the orient, or the eastern region of the world or heavens: oriental countries;stars in the oriental sky.

  1. Oriental, Zoogeography. belonging to a geographical division comprising southern Asia and the Malay Archipelago as far as and including the Philippines, Borneo, and Java: This genera has twelve Oriental species, and two Australian ones.

  2. Also Oriental .Jewelry.

    • designating various gems that are varieties of corundum: oriental aquamarine; oriental ruby.

    • fine or precious; orient: oriental agate; oriental garnet.

    • designating certain natural saltwater pearls found especially in Asia.

noun
  1. Usually Oriental .Older Use: Usually Disparaging and Offensive. a native or inhabitant of the Orient, or East.

Origin of oriental

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin orientālis, from orient-, stem of oriēns “the east, sunrise,” literally, “rising” + -ālis, adjective suffix; equivalent to orient + -al1

usage note For oriental

Is it Asian, Asiatic, or Oriental? See Asian.

Other words from oriental

  • o·ri·en·tal·ly, adverb
  • an·ti-O·ri·en·tal, adjective, noun
  • half-o·ri·en·tal, adjective
  • non·o·ri·en·tal, adjective, noun
  • pseu·do·o·ri·en·tal, adjective
  • qua·si-o·ri·en·tal, adjective
  • sem·i·o·ri·en·tal, adjective
  • un·o·ri·en·tal, adjective

Words that may be confused with oriental

Words Nearby oriental

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use oriental in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for oriental (1 of 2)

oriental

/ (ˌɔːrɪˈɛntəl) /


adjective
  1. another word for eastern Compare occidental

British Dictionary definitions for Oriental (2 of 2)

Oriental

/ (ˌɔːrɪˈɛntəl) /


adjective
  1. (sometimes not capital) of or relating to the Orient

  2. of or denoting a zoogeographical region consisting of southeastern Asia from India to Borneo, Java, and the Philippines

noun
  1. a breed of slender muscular cat with large ears, long legs, and a long tail

  2. (sometimes not capital) an inhabitant, esp a native, of the Orient

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