indian

indian — adjective

1. relating to the country of India, or to the people who live there.

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

relating to the country of India, or to the people who live there.

Example

Nikhil's mother brought Indian sweets to share at the festival.

collocation: Indian sweets / Indian food

The museum has a large collection of Indian paintings from the 1700s.

Common collocations
  • Indian cuisine
  • Indian government
  • Indian film industry
  • Indian fashion
  • Indian spice
Synonyms
  • South Asian

    broader geographic term covering India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives

Common Mistakes

She is Indian, so she speaks Hindu.
She is Indian, so she speaks Hindi / Tamil / Bengali.
'Hindu' is a religion, not a language; India has many languages.
He wore an Indian headdress to the party.' (when referring to a feather headdress of Indigenous Americans).
He wore a feathered headdress inspired by Indigenous American traditions.
Using 'Indian' for Indigenous American items can cause confusion with the India-related meaning and may give offense.

2. relating to the original peoples who lived across the American continents before

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

relating to the original peoples who lived across the American continents before European arrival — a term once used in government and legal contexts that is now seen as offensive and misleading.

Example

The old treaty used the word 'Indian' for the Indigenous nations of the Great Plains.

historical context: treaty language

Today, most people avoid the word 'Indian' and instead say 'Native American' or 'Indigenous person'.

avoided term; preferred alternatives

Common collocations
  • Indian territory (historical)
  • Indian Affairs (US government name)
  • Indian reservation (historical)
Synonyms
  • Native American

    preferred general term in the US for Indigenous peoples

  • Indigenous

    broader term used internationally, less tied to US-specific history

  • First Nations

    standard term in Canada for Indigenous peoples (excluding Inuit and Metis)

Usage Note

This sense is now considered offensive when referring to Indigenous peoples of the Americas. In the United States, 'Native American' or 'American Indian' (used by some government agencies) are more accepted, though many prefer the name of their specific nation (e.g., 'Navajo,' 'Lakota,' 'Cherokee'). In Canada, 'First Nations' or 'Indigenous' are the standard terms. Avoid using this sense outside of direct historical quotation or legal names.

Common Mistakes

She is an Indian artist from Arizona.' (when meaning Indigenous American).
She is a Navajo artist from Arizona.' or 'She is a Native American artist from Arizona.
Use the specific nation name when possible, or 'Native American' as a general term.
I love Indian jewelry.' (unclear which sense).
I love Indian jewelry from India.' or 'I love Indigenous American jewelry.
Clarify which meaning you intend.

indian — noun

Word family

  • India
    proper nounA1
  • Indianness
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

These three terms all relate to the Indian subcontinent, but they differ in scope and connotation. 'Indian' refers specifically to the nation of India and its people — a legal and national identity. 'South Asian' is a broader geographic and cultural label covering India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives; it is common in academic and demographic contexts. 'Desi' is an informal, in-group term used by the South Asian diaspora to refer to their shared cultural heritage (food, music, fashion) and carries a warm, self-identifying tone. 'Hindu' is a religious label that does not map onto nationality — there are Hindus who are not Indian (e.g., in Nepal or Bali) and Indians who are not Hindu (e.g., Muslim, Sikh, Christian). For a person from India, use 'Indian'; for regional belonging, 'South Asian'; in casual diaspora conversation, 'Desi' is fine among in-group speakers. Using 'Hindu' to mean 'Indian' is inaccurate and may offend.

South AsianDesiHindu ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • Indian food
  • Indian culture
  • Indian history
  • Indian art
  • Indian music
  • Indian film
  • Indian diaspora
  • Indian government
  • Indian cuisine

Phrases

  • of Indian origin
  • of Indian descent

Etymology

SanskritOld PersianGreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'Indian' comes from the name of the Indus River, which flows through present-day Pakistan. The ancient Persians called the river 'Hindu,' and the Greeks later turned this into 'Indos.' The Romans used 'India' to refer to the region beyond the Indus. When European explorers reached the Americas in the late 1400s, they mistakenly believed they had reached the East Indies, so they called the people they found 'Indians.' This mistaken label has been used for Indigenous Americans ever since, though it is now widely recognized as inaccurate and offensive.