oriental

oriental — adjective

1. connected with East or Southeast Asia, or with the art, food, or traditions foun

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

connected with East or Southeast Asia, or with the art, food, or traditions found there

Example

The museum's new wing displays oriental paintings from China and Japan.

collocation: oriental paintings

At the night market, a stall sells oriental dishes with rice.

collocation: oriental dishes

Common collocations
  • oriental art
  • oriental dishes
  • oriental rug
  • oriental trade
  • oriental patterns
Synonyms
  • Asian

    the normal broad modern word for people or things from Asia

  • East Asian

    more exact when you mean China, Japan, Korea, and nearby places

  • eastern

    broader and often more literal; it can refer to the east part of any region

Antonyms
  • western

    commonly used for things connected with Europe, North America, or the west

Grammar Patterns

oriental art

oriental dishes

oriental rug

oriental trade

Usage Note

Often appears before nouns such as art, food, rug, or style. In modern English, many speakers avoid this word for people and prefer Asian or a specific nationality.

Common Mistakes

My oriental classmate helped me with math.
My Japanese classmate helped me with math.
Avoid oriental for people; use a nationality word or Asian instead.

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Asian is the normal broad word for people or things from Asia. East Asian is narrower and clearer when you mean places such as China, Japan, or Korea. Eastern is broader still, and it can describe the east side of any country or region, not only Asia. Oriental still appears in some older labels for art, rugs, food, or design, but many speakers now avoid it for people because it can sound dated or insensitive. When you can be exact, a more specific word is usually better. You can say East Asian history or Asian students, but an older museum label may still say oriental art.

oriental ↗Asian ↗East Asianeastern ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • oriental art
  • oriental food
  • oriental rug
  • oriental style

Phrases

  • display oriental paintings
  • serve oriental dishes
  • study oriental trade

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Oriental came into English through French from Latin orientalis. The Latin root is linked to the idea of the sun rising, so the word originally pointed to the eastern direction and later to places in the East.