Asian

From Latin āsiānus.

• IPA^(key): /ˈeɪʒən/, /ˈeɪʃən/

• Audio (AU)

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• Rhymes: -eɪʃən, -eɪʒən

Asian (plural Asians)

1. A person from the continent of Asia.
2. A person with Asian ancestry.
   1. (US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand) A person from or with ancestry in Northeast or Southeast Asia.
   2. (UK, Ireland, South Africa) A person from or with ancestry in the Indian subcontinent.
      • 1987 May, Paul Oliver, “Movie Mahal: Indian cinema on ITV Channel 4”, in Popular Music, DOI:10.1017/S0261143000002774, page 215:

        If radio and television programmes are anything to go by, Asians in Britain get up early on a Sunday.

      • 2013, Malala Yousafzai, I Am Malala:

        Were there Taliban beheading people? I didn't tell my parents, but I flinched if an Asian-looking man came close.

3. A domestic cat of a breed similar to the Burmese.

• See Thesaurus:Asian
• (person from Asia): Oriental, Asiatic
• (person from east Asia): East Asian, Oriental, Oriental Asian, Chinese (loosely)
• (person from the Indian subcontinent): South Asian, Desi, Asian Indian, East Indian, Indian (loosely), Pakistani (loosely)

Asian (not comparable)

1. Of, relating to or from Asia.
   • 2015 June 4, Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, “The beauty contest winner making Japan look at itself”, in BBC‎:

     There are white, black, Asian and Chinese Britons

• Asiatic

• Ansai, IANAS, naais