Pacific Islander

noun

plural Pacific Islanders

: a native or a descendant of a native of one of the islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, or Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean

Examples of Pacific Islander in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The Sacramento Bee and Nehemiah Leaders Programs celebrated the 2026 class of Change Makers, leaders from the Asian American and Pacific Islander, Black, Latino and Native American communities. — Allison Gibson, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2026 The first Pacific Islander to visit Britain, Mai had joined Captain James Cook’s second expedition during its stop in the Society Islands, which include the islands of Tahiti and Raiatea and today are a part of French Polynesia. — Saar Shahar, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026 Asian American Arts Alliance (A4) announced the thirty-eight recipients of the last round of its A4 Arts Fund, which distributes $500,000 to arts and cultural organizations that support Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. — News Desk, Artforum, 25 Sep. 2026 Those categories include Black, Latino, Native American, Alaska Native and Pacific Islander students, according to the UC enrollment report cited in the notice. — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for Pacific Islander

Word History

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of Pacific Islander was in 1785

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Pacific Islander.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Pacific%20Islander. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

Pacific Islander

noun

: a native or a descendant of a native of Melanesia, Micronesia, or Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean

Pacific Islander

noun

Examples of Pacific Islander in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes