Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Of or relating to India, its peoples, or their cultures and languages: Pertaining to the country of India in South Asia, or to the diverse ethnic groups, traditions, and languages originating from there.
   • Of or relating to the indigenous peoples of the Americas or their cultures and languages: Pertaining to the peoples originally inhabiting the Americas, and their diverse cultures, histories, and languages. (Note: The terms Native American, American Indian, First Nations, or specific tribal names are often preferred in contemporary usage.)

2. Noun:

   • A native or inhabitant of India: A person who is from India or whose ancestry originates from India.
   • A member of any of the indigenous peoples of the Americas: A person belonging to one of the peoples who were living in North, Central, or South America before the arrival of European settlers. (See note on preferred terminology above.)
   • Any of the languages spoken by the indigenous peoples of the Americas.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • She wore a beautiful Indian sari to the wedding. (Relating to India)
  • The museum has a collection of Indian pottery from the Southwest. (Relating to the indigenous peoples of the Americas)

• Noun:

  • He is an Indian from Mumbai. (A person from India)
  • The Indian taught the settlers how to cultivate corn. (A member of the indigenous peoples of the Americas; this example uses historical context.)

Advanced Usage

• "Indian summer": A period of unseasonably warm, dry weather occurring in late autumn, especially in North America.

  • We enjoyed a lovely Indian summer well into October.

• "Indian giver": (Idiom, now considered offensive) A person who gives a gift and then takes it back. Its use is discouraged due to its derogatory and inaccurate stereotyping.

  • Avoid using the term "Indian giver"; it is based on a harmful stereotype.

Variants and Related Words

• India (n): The country in South Asia.
• Native American (n & adj): Often preferred contemporary term for the indigenous peoples of the contiguous United States.
• American Indian (n & adj): A term used, particularly in the US, for the indigenous peoples of the Americas.
• East Indian (adj): Historically used to specify something or someone from India (the East Indies), to distinguish from the "West Indies" or American Indians.
• Indian Ocean (n): The ocean south of India.

Synonyms

• For a person from India: South Asian (in a broader geographical sense).
• For indigenous peoples of the Americas: Native American, Amerindian, First Nations (in Canada), Indigenous person.

Related Phrases and Usage Notes

• Usage Note: The use of "Indian" to refer to the original inhabitants of the Americas originates from a historical error by Christopher Columbus. In modern, precise, and respectful contexts, more specific terms are preferred, such as the name of a specific nation (e.g., , , ) or broader terms like (primarily US) or . When referring to people or cultures from the country of India, "Indian" is the standard and correct demonym.

Adjective

1. of or pertaining to American Indians or their culture or languages
   • Native American religions
   • Indian arrowheads
2. of or relating to or characteristic of India or the East Indies or their peoples or languages or cultures
   • the Indian subcontinent
   • Indian saris

Noun

1. any of the languages spoken by Amerindians
2. a native or inhabitant of India
3. a member of the race of people living in America when Europeans arrived