hawaiian
adj.adj. relating to the state of Hawaii, its people, or its language. You use this to describe things that come from these islands.
adj. relating to Hawaii, its inhabitants, or the Polynesian language spoken there. When referring to the people, it specifically denotes those of indigenous descent rather than all residents of the state.
We enjoyed a delicious Hawaiian pizza for lunch.
The festival featured traditional Hawaiian music and dance performances throughout the afternoon.
Scholars of linguistics often study the unique phonological structure of the Hawaiian language, which uses a remarkably small set of distinct sounds.
From Hawaii + -an.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Always capitalized. As a descriptor for people, it is often reserved for those with indigenous ancestry.
Last updated May 29, 2026