ENGLISH
REFERENCE

dominican

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //dəˈmɪnəkən// do·mini·can

n. a person from the Dominican Republic or someone who belongs to a specific group of Catholic priests and nuns. You use this word to talk about someone's nationality or their religious order.

n. a person from the Dominican Republic or a member of the Order of Preachers, a Roman Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic. When referring to nationality, it is a proper noun; when referring to the religious order, it can also function as a member of that community.


SIMPLE

My neighbor is a Dominican who moved here last year.

CONTEXTUAL

The Dominican community in New York City is one of the largest and most vibrant immigrant groups in the country.

COMPLEX

While the Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, the Dominican people have a distinct cultural identity shaped by Spanish, African, and Taino influences.

Etymology 1

From the name of the Dominican Republic, itself a calque of Spanish República Dominicana; corresponding to Spanish dominicano.

Etymology 2

From Dominica + -an.

Etymology 3

Learned borrowing from Latin dominicānus. By surface analysis, Dominic + -an.

Usage

Always capitalized as it is derived from a proper name (either the country or Saint Dominic).

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