Hawaiian

noun

Ha·​wai·​ian hə-ˈwä-yən How to pronounce Hawaiian (audio)
-ˈwī-(y)ən,
-ˈwȯ-yən
1
: a native or resident of Hawaii
especially : one of Polynesian ancestry

Note: In Hawaii, the word Hawaiian is understood as an ethnic designation for a native person of Polynesian descent, and its use in the more general sense "a resident of Hawaii" is considered an error.

2
: the Polynesian language of the Hawaiians
Hawaiian adjective

Examples of Hawaiian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Kauaʻi, Hawai‘i With towering, razor-sharp ridges along the coast and a rainforest interior, Kauaʻi may be the most dramatic of the Hawaiian Islands. Tanvi Chheda, AFAR Media, 17 Jan. 2025 Sunrise Collective, a home for the Asian, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community, is returning to Park City’s Main Street. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 17 Jan. 2025 Kīlauea Eruption Today: What's the Latest According to USGS's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, the eruption remains confined within the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, with no immediate threat to nearby communities. Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025 Will McGough has been covering travel for 15 years and is a tour guide in the Hawaiian Islands. Will McGough, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for Hawaiian 

Word History

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Hawaiian was in 1840

Dictionary Entries Near Hawaiian

Cite this Entry

“Hawaiian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Hawaiian. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

Hawaiian

noun
Ha·​wai·​ian hə-ˈwä-yən How to pronounce Hawaiian (audio)
-ˈwī(y)ən,
-ˈwȯ-yən
1
: a person born or living in Hawaii
especially : one of Polynesian ancestry
2
: the Polynesian language of the Hawaiians
Hawaiian adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on Hawaiian

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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