(ôrˌē-ĕnˈtl, ōrˌ-)
adjective- often Oriental Of or relating to the countries of the Orient or their peoples or cultures; eastern.
- Oriental Of or designating the biogeographic region that includes Asia south of the Himalaya Mountains and the islands of the Malay Archipelago.
- Lustrous and valuable: oriental pearls.
a. Of or relating to a genuine or superior gem: an oriental ruby.
b. Relating to or designating corundum that resembles another stone in color.
noun often Oriental Often Offensive An Asian.
Related Forms:
Usage Note: Asian is now strongly preferred in place of
Oriental for persons native to Asia or descended from an Asian people. The usual objection to
Oriental—meaning “eastern”—is that it identifies Asian countries and peoples in terms of their location relative to Europe. However, this objection is not generally made of other Eurocentric terms such as
Near and
Middle Eastern. The real problem with
Oriental is more likely its connotations stemming from an earlier era when Europeans viewed the regions east of the Mediterranean as exotic lands full of romance and intrigue, the home of despotic empires and inscrutable customs. At the least these associations can give
Oriental a dated feel, and as a noun in contemporary contexts (as in
the first Oriental to be elected from the district) it is now widely taken to be offensive. However,
Oriental should not be thought of as an ethnic slur to be avoided in all situations. As with
Asiatic, its use other than as an ethnonym, in phrases such as
Oriental cuisine or
Oriental medicine, is not usually considered objectionable.
