# Australian

/ɔˈstɹeɪɫjən/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/australian
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. a person

noun · CEFR A1

a person who comes from Australia or is a citizen of that country.

For teachers: a native or inhabitant of the Commonwealth of Australia, or a person of Australian descent.

- My new neighbour is an Australian who moved here from Sydney last year.
- The conference hosted several prominent Australians who presented their research on coral reef preservation in the Pacific.

### 2. the language variety

noun · CEFR B2

the type of English spoken in Australia.

For teachers: the variety of the English language as spoken in Australia, including its unique phonology and lexicon.

- He speaks Australian, so he uses words like 'barbie' for a barbecue.
- Linguists study Australian to understand how isolated geographic development affects the evolution of English vowels and slang.

### 3. relating to Australia

adjective · CEFR A1

coming from or related to Australia.

For teachers: of, from, or pertaining to Australia, its people, its culture, or its geographic territory.

- I love Australian wine, especially the ones from the Barossa Valley.
- The museum opened a new wing dedicated to Australian flora and fauna, featuring several species found nowhere else on Earth.

### 4. upside down

adjective · CEFR C1 · Humorous · American English

a joke meaning something is upside down, because Australia is on the other side of the world.

For teachers: used to describe something that is upside down; a humorous reference to Australia's position in the Southern Hemisphere.

- He hung the map on the wall in an Australian way by mistake.
- The comedian made a quip about the Australian orientation of the poorly installed billboard, which had been mounted completely upside down.

Teaching tip: This is a specific cultural joke mostly found in North America; it is not a standard way to describe physical orientation in formal contexts.

## Examples

- My new neighbor is an Australian from Sydney.
- The local café is run by an Australian who makes the best flat whites in the city.
- While many people assume every Australian lives near the beach, the vast majority of the population is concentrated in a few highly urbanized coastal hubs.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.