# Indonesian

/ˌɪndoʊˈniʒən/ (US)

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

## Senses

### 1. a person

noun · CEFR A2

a person who comes from or lives in Indonesia.

For teachers: a person of Indonesian citizenship or descent.

- My new neighbour is an Indonesian who moved here to study engineering.
- The conference was attended by several prominent Indonesians who are leading the way in regional environmental policy.

### 2. the language

noun · CEFR A2

the official language spoken in Indonesia.

For teachers: the official language of Indonesia, a standardised register of Malay.

- She is learning Indonesian because she plans to work in Jakarta next year.
- While many local dialects exist across the archipelago, Indonesian serves as the unifying language for government and education.

### 3. related to Indonesia

adjective · CEFR A2

related to the country of Indonesia, its people, or its culture.

For teachers: relating to Indonesia, its inhabitants, or their language and culture.

- We went to a great Indonesian restaurant and had spicy rice and satay.
- The museum features an extensive collection of Indonesian textiles, showcasing the intricate patterns of traditional batik from various islands.

## Examples

- My new neighbor is an Indonesian from Jakarta.
- The conference provided a translator for the delegates who only spoke Indonesian.
- While many citizens speak regional dialects at home, Indonesian serves as the unifying lingua franca across the vast and diverse archipelago.

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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.