oriental

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciations'oriental': /ˌɔːriˈɛntəl/; 'Oriental': /ˌɔːrɪˈɛntəl/

US:USA pronunciation: IPAUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˌɔriˈɛntəl/

US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(ôr′ē en′tl, ōr′-)



WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
o•ri•en•tal /ˌɔriˈɛntəl/USA pronunciation   adj. 
  1. [usually: Oriental] of, relating to, or characteristic of the Orient, or the East;
    Eastern.
  2. eastern.

n. [countable* usually: Oriental]
  1. Language Varieties
    • Language Varieties[Usually considered offensive.]a native or inhabitant of East Asia, or a person of East Asian descent.
See -ori-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
o•ri•en•tal  (ôr′ē en′tl, ōr′-),USA pronunciation adj. 
  1. (usu. cap.) of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the Orient, or East;
    Eastern.
  2. of the orient or east;
    eastern.
  3. Biology(cap.) [Zoogeog.]belonging to a geographical division comprising southern Asia and the Malay Archipelago as far as and including the Philippines, Borneo, and Java.
  4. Jewelry
    • Jewelry(usu. cap.) designating various gems that are varieties of corundum: Oriental aquamarine;
      Oriental ruby.
    • Jewelryfine or precious;
      orient: oriental agate;
      oriental garnet.
    • Jewelrydesignating certain natural saltwater pearls found esp. in the Orient.

n. 
  1. Language Varieties(usually cap.) a native or inhabitant of the Orient.
  • Latin orientālis = orient- the east (see orient) + -ālis -al1
  • Middle French
  • Middle English 1350–1400
o′ri•en tal•ly, adv. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
oriental /ˌɔːrɪˈɛntəl/ adj
  1. another word for eastern
    Compare occidental
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
Oriental /ˌɔːrɪˈɛntəl/ adj
  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
n
  1. (sometimes not capital) offensive an inhabitant, esp a native, of the Orient
'oriental' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

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