Home / Dictionary / Indian

Indian Very Common

Indian has 7 different meanings across 3 categories:

Noun · Adjective · Proper Noun

Definitions
Noun
1

a native or inhabitant of India

"The visiting Indian shared stories about life in Mumbai with her new friends."

2

any of the languages spoken by Amerindians

"The linguist spent years cataloging rare variations in local Indian dialects before they disappeared forever."

3

A person from India.

"The curious student asked her Indian friend how to prepare traditional spices."

Adjective
1

of or relating to or characteristic of India or the East Indies or their peoples or languages or cultures

"the Indian subcontinent"

"Indian saris"

2

of or pertaining to Native Americans or their culture or languages

"Native American religions"

"Indian arrowheads"

3

Of or relating to India or its people; or (formerly) of the East Indies.

"The famous Indian spice market in Mumbai was bustling with vendors selling saffron and cardamom."

In plain English: Something described as Indian is related to India, its people, culture, or language.

"The Indian restaurant down the street serves delicious curry and naan bread."

Proper Noun
1

Any of the (unrelated) languages spoken by American Indians.

"Many different Indian languages are spoken across North America, yet they belong to distinct language families rather than a single group."

Example Sentences
"The Indian restaurant down the street serves delicious curry and naan bread." adj
"The team wore their traditional Indian clothing to the festival." adj
"She enjoyed the spicy flavor of the Indian curry for dinner." adj
"Many people in our neighborhood have strong Indian cultural traditions." adj
See Also
chief native india indo tribe how chana dal dholak
Related Terms
chief native india indo tribe how chana dal dholak indish spivakian amerindian satyagraha cuisine kachori jali manipuri patel floriken travancore south asia
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
Asian natural language
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
Assamese Dravidian Gujarati Kashmiri Oriya Punjabi Maratha Gypsy jawan Algonquian Atakapa Athapaskan Muskhogean Na-Dene Mosan Caddo Iroquoian Quechua Maraco Tupi-Guarani Arawak Carib Uto-Aztecan Maya Siouan Tanoan Hokan Penutian

Origin

The word comes from Anglo-Norman and Middle French, originally meaning "of India." It was mistakenly applied to people in the Americas because early explorers thought the New World was part of Asia.

Rhyming Words
ian sian jian bian rian dian qian kian vian xian gian lian asian elian brian ilian apian arian avian chian
Compare
Indian vs