Australian

1 of 2

adjective

Aus·​tra·​lian ȯ-ˈstrāl-yən 

ä-,

ə-

1

: of, relating to, or characteristic of the continent or commonwealth of Australia, its inhabitants, or the languages spoken there

2

: of, relating to, or being a biogeographic region that comprises Australia, the islands north of it from Celebes eastward, Tasmania, New Zealand, and Polynesia

Australian

2 of 2

noun

1

: a native or inhabitant of the Australian commonwealth

2

: a group of about 200 languages spoken by the aboriginal inhabitants of Australia

Examples of Australian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The segment became an instant hit, with the Australian pop star taking to social media following the Nov. 11 episode of the NBC comedy series, during which the Wonka star hilariously portrayed Sivan as cast member Sarah Sherman’s sleep paralysis demon. —Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 17 Jan. 2025

Shriver won seven Australian Open titles, five Wimbledon titles, five US Open titles and four French Open titles in women’s doubles. —Jill Martin, CNN, 17 Jan. 2025

Noun

Monfils has never been past the quarterfinals at the Australian Open but did reach two major semifinals, most recently at the 2016 U.S. Open. —Adam Zagoria, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025

The 38-year-old Monfils becomes the second-oldest male player in history after Roger Federer to reach the fourth round Down Under since the Australian Open moved to Melbourne Park in 1988, per the ATP. —Matias Grez, CNN, 18 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1795, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1693, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing Australian

• Australian ballot
• Australian cattle dog
• Australian pine
• Australian Rules football
• Australian shepherd
• Australian terrier

Kids Definition

Australian

adjective

Aus·​tra·​lian

ȯ-ˈstrāl-yən,

ä-

: of, relating to, or characteristic of Australia or its people