1. relating to East Asia: relating to the countries and peoples of East Asia, especially China, Japan, and neighboring countries
(
dated
)
2. high in quality: describes pearls and gems that are high in quality and valuable an Oriental ruby
noun (pluralO·ri·en·tals)(pluralo·ri·en·tals)
Definition:
taboo term: a highly offensive term for somebody from East Asia
(
dated
)
Word Usage
The adjective and noun Oriental, with reference to people from East Asia, is now regarded as a relic of Western colonialism and should be avoided. The preferred substitute is Asian.
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