Indian

Language: en

🇬🇧 /ˈɪndɪən/ 🇺🇸 /ˈɪndiːən/

📖 Definitions

  1. noun
    A native or inhabitant of India, or a person of Indian descent.; A member of any of the indigenous peoples of the Americas; a Native American. This usage is now often considered outdated or offensive.; The Indian corn plant; maize (archaic or regional usage).; A type of motorcycle manufactured by the Indian Motorcycle Company.
  2. adjective
    Of or relating to India, its people, languages, or culture.; Of or relating to the indigenous peoples of the Americas; Native American. This usage is now often considered outdated or offensive.; Of or relating to the Indian Ocean or the region surrounding it.
  3. noun
    Any of the Indo-Aryan or Dravidian languages spoken in India.; A constellation in the southern sky, Indus, representing a Native American or an Indian (archaic astronomical usage).

🔗 Details

Word forms

countable Plural: Indians

Collocations

Indian foodIndian cultureIndian OceanIndian summerIndian cornIndian subcontinent

Derivatives

IndianizeIndianizationIndianness

Synonyms

Native AmericanindigenousSouth Asian

Commonly confused

Indigenous
EN: 'Indigenous' is a general term for native peoples of any region; 'Indian' specifically refers to people from India or (historically) Native Americans.
Native American
EN: 'Native American' is the preferred modern term for indigenous peoples of the Americas; 'Indian' in this sense is considered outdated or offensive by many.

Spelling tips

EN: Always capitalized as it is a proper adjective/noun derived from a proper noun. Do not confuse 'Indian' (relating to India or Native Americans) with 'indian' in lowercase, which is non-standard.

💬 Examples

  1. She is an Indian who moved to London for her studies.

  2. The museum has a collection of artifacts made by the Indians of the Great Plains.

  3. The settlers learned to grow Indian from the local tribes.

  4. He restored a vintage 1948 Indian Chief motorcycle.

  5. Indian cuisine is known for its rich use of spices.

  6. The Indian reservation covers a large area in the southwestern United States.

  7. The Indian monsoon brings heavy rainfall to the subcontinent each summer.

  8. Hindi is the most widely spoken Indian language.

  9. The constellation Indus, sometimes called the Indian, is visible from the Southern Hemisphere.