Word
oriental
Phoneticsori·en·tal
US/ˌɔɹiˈɛnəɫ/
UK/ˌɔːɹɪˈɛntəl/
Definitions
01relating to East Asia
adj. describing things like food, rugs, or art from East Asian countries.
adj. pertaining to the cultures, regions, or products of the Orient, specifically East Asia.
“The museum has a beautiful collection of oriental rugs from the nineteenth century.”
“The interior designer specialised in sourcing authentic oriental ceramics for high-end residential projects.”
Formal
Usage
In modern English, this is generally acceptable for objects like rugs or spices, but not for people.
Teaching tip
Learners should be aware that while common in product names, using this to describe a person is considered offensive in many English-speaking cultures.
Antonyms
03astronomy/sky
adj. describing something in the eastern part of the sky, usually before the sun rises.
adj. pertaining to the eastern part of the celestial sphere; specifically, appearing in the east before sunrise.
“The planet was in an oriental position just before the dawn.”
“The astronomer noted the oriental appearance of Venus, which was visible shortly before the sun broke the horizon.”
Technical
Usage
Used primarily in technical astronomical or astrological contexts.
Synonyms
Antonyms
04precious stones
adj. describing a pearl or jewel that has a very high quality and shine.
adj. referring to a pearl or other gemstone of superior lustre or value.
“The queen wore a necklace made of fine oriental pearls.”
“The jeweller identified the specimen as an oriental sapphire, noting its exceptional clarity and deep hue.”
Archaic · Technical
Teaching tip
This is a very rare, specialised sense found in older texts about jewellery.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“And there is the lazy way, which is finding a cheap alternative and fantasising about a faraway, oriental, communist country that might be your future,” he says.” “Kusama characterised her own work in a letter to the American painter Georgia O’Keeffe as “oriental mystic symbolism”.” Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/oriental