oriental
1 of 2adjective
ori·en·tal ˌȯr-ē-ˈen-tᵊl 
1
or Oriental : of, relating to, or situated in the Orient : eastern
2
or Oriental, sometimes offensive, see usage paragraph below : of, relating to, or coming from Asia and especially eastern Asia
oriental food
oriental art
oriental medicine
3
Oriental : of, relating to, or constituting the biogeographic region that includes Asia south and southeast of the Himalayas and the Malay Archipelago west of Wallace's line
4
a
: of superior grade, luster, or value
b
: being corundum or sapphire but simulating another gem in color
orientally
ˌȯr-ē-ˈen-tᵊl-ē
adverb Oriental
2 of 2noun
plural Orientals
1
dated, usually offensive, see usage paragraph below : asian
especially : one who is a native of east Asia or is of east Asian descent
2
: oriental rug
3
: oriental shorthair
Word History
First Known Use
Adjective
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing oriental
Kids Definition
oriental
adjective
ori·en·tal ˌōr-ē-ˈen-tᵊl
often capitalized
1
sometimes offensive : asian entry 1
Hint: In the past, this word was not considered offensive when applied to Asian people. In recent years, however, many people have come to find the word hurtful when applied to a person, and you may offend someone by using it in that way.
2
: relating to or from the region that includes the countries of eastern Asia (as China, Japan, South Korea, and North Korea)