Ethiopian

1 of 2

noun

Ethi·​o·​pi·​an ˌē-thē-ˈō-pē-ən How to pronounce Ethiopian (audio)
1
: a native or inhabitant of Ethiopia
2
: a member of any of the mythical or actual peoples usually described by the ancient Greeks as dark-skinned and living far to the south
3
archaic : a Black person

Ethiopian

2 of 2

adjective

1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the inhabitants or the country of Ethiopia
2
: of, relating to, or being the biogeographic region that includes Africa south of the Sahara, southern Arabia, and sometimes Madagascar and the adjacent islands

Examples of Ethiopian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
The Ethiopian wolf, also known as the red jackal, is one of the world’s rarest canines as well as Africa’s most endangered carnivore. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 20 Nov. 2024 The outlet reports that Mo Farah previously had two phones, a watch, and £2,500 stolen from his hotel room in 2019 after staying at the Addis Ababa—an establishment owned by Ethiopian running legend Haile Gebrselassie. Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 19 Nov. 2024 The Grammy Award-winning USA for Africa benefit single raised more than $63 million for Ethiopian famine relief. Jennifer Frederick, Billboard, 4 Nov. 2024 The song raised more than $63 million for Ethiopian famine relief. Jennifer Frederick, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for Ethiopian 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective

1557, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Ethiopian was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near Ethiopian

Cite this Entry

“Ethiopian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Ethiopian. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!