mayan
adj.adj. relating to the Maya people, their culture, or their language. You use this to describe things from this ancient civilization in Central America.
adj. relating to the Maya people of southern Mexico and Central America, or their civilization and languages. Often used to describe archaeological sites, historical periods, or cultural artifacts.
We visited several Mayan ruins during our trip to Mexico.
Archaeologists recently discovered a hidden Mayan temple deep within the Guatemalan jungle.
The Mayan calendar is renowned for its mathematical precision and its sophisticated understanding of celestial cycles, reflecting the advanced astronomical knowledge of the civilization.
From Maya + -an.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Typically used as an adjective to modify nouns like 'culture', 'ruins', or 'languages'.
Last updated May 8, 2026