Caribbean

English

Alternative forms

• Carribean (obsolete)

Etymology

From Carib or Caribe, a people who lived in the West Indies, +‎ -an.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌkæɹɪˈbiːən/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌkæɹɪˈbiːən/, /kəˈɹɪbiən/

• Audio (US, without the Mary–marry–merry merger); [ˌkæɹɪˈbiːən]:

  (file)

• Audio (US, Mary–marry–merry merger); [ˌkɛɹɪˈbiːən]:

  (file)

• Audio (US); [kəˈɹɪbiən]:

  (file)

  Rhymes: -iːən

Usage notes

In British English, the pronunciation with penultimate stress is used almost exclusively; in American English, the two pronunciations are about equally common.

Adjective

Caribbean (not comparable)

1. Pertaining to the sea and region of the western Atlantic bounded by South America, Central America, and the islands of the West Indies (such as Cuba and Hispaniola).

Usage notes

The Bahamas are politically included as part of the Caribbean, but are geographically located outside the Caribbean Sea.

Translations

pertaining to the sea and region bounded by the American continent and the West Indies

• Arabic: كَارِيبِيّ (kārībiyy)

  Hijazi Arabic: كاريبي (kārībi)

• Armenian: կարիբյան (karibyan)
• Catalan: caribeny (ca)
• Czech: karibský (cs)
• Danish: caribisk
• Dutch: Caribisch (nl), Caraïbisch (nl)
• French: caraïbe (fr), caribéen (fr)
• Galician: caribe (gl)
• German: karibisch (de)
• Haitian Creole: karayibeyen
• Hebrew: קריבי (qarybi)
• Hindi: कैरिबिया (hi) (kairibiyā)
• Italian: caraibico
• Marathi: कॅरिबियन (kĕribiyan)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: karibisk

  Nynorsk: karibisk

• Polish: karaibski (pl)
• Portuguese: caribenho (pt)
• Romanian: caraibic
• Russian: кари́бский (ru) (karíbskij)
• Spanish: caribe (es), caribeño (es)
• Swahili: Kikaribiani
• Swedish: karibisk (sv)
• Tatar: Кариб (Qarib), Qarib
• Thai: แคริบเบียน (kɛɛ-ríp-bîian)
• Ukrainian: кари́бський (karýbsʹkyj)
• Welsh: Caribïaidd

Noun

Caribbean (plural Caribbeans)

1. (countable) A person native to the Caribbean region
2. (countable) A member of the Amerindian tribes that inhabited the Caribbean region before the arrival of the Europeans

Translations

people from the Caribbean region

• French: Caribéen m, Caribéenne f
• Lao: ຄົນຄາຣິບຽນ (khon khā ri bīan)
• Marathi: कॅरिबियन m (kĕribiyan)
• Polish: Karaib m, Karaibka f
• Portuguese: caribenho (pt) m
• Thai: คนแคริบเบียน

Proper noun

the Caribbean

1. The Caribbean Sea.
3. A continental region centered on the Caribbean Sea, consisting of those countries located in the sea and in bordering areas of South America and Central America.

Derived terms

• Caribbean box jellyfish
• Caribbean flamingo
• Caribbean pine
• Caribbean time
• circum-Caribbean

Related terms

• Caribbeanist
• Caribbean Sea
• Carib
• Carib Indians
• Caribe
• Caribs

Translations

sea — see also Caribbean Sea

• Armenian: Կարիբյան ծով (hy) (Karibyan cov)
• Catalan: Carib m
• Czech: Karibik (cs) m
• Danish: Caribiske Hav
• Esperanto: Karibio
• Finnish: Karibianmeri (fi)
• French: mer des Antilles (fr) f
• German: Karibik (de) f
• Hebrew: הים הקריבי m (ha-yam ha-qarybi)
• Italian: Mare Caraibico m
• Lao: ທະເລຄາຣິບຽນ (tha lē khā ri bīan)
• Navajo: Kayíbíyinsíí
• Occitan: mar Cariba (oc) f
• Polish: Morze Karaibskie (pl) n
• Portuguese: Mar do Caribe m
• Russian: Кари́бское мо́ре (ru) n (Karíbskoje móre)
• Spanish: Mar Caribe m
• Swedish: Karibiska havet (sv)
• Tagalog: Dagat Karibe
• Thai: ทะเลแคริบเบียน (tálay krâepbian)
• Turkish: Karayip Denizi (tr)

continental region centered on the Caribbean Sea

• Antillean Creole: Karayib f pl

  Martinican Creole: Kawayib f pl

• Catalan: Carib m
• Czech: Karibik (cs) m
• Danish: Caribien
• Dutch: Caraïben (nl) pl
• Esperanto: Karibio
• Finnish: Karibia (fi)
• French: Caraïbes (fr) f pl
• German: Karibik (de) f
• Haitian Creole: Karayib f pl
• Italian: Caraibi (it) m pl
• Japanese: カリブ海地域 (Karibu kai chiiki)
• Lao: ຄາຣິບຽນ (khā ri bīan)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: Karibia, Karibien

  Nynorsk: Karibia

• Occitan: Cariba (oc) f
• Papiamentu: Karibe m
• Polish: Karaiby (pl) pl
• Portuguese: Caribe (pt) m
• Russian: Карибы (ru) pl (Kariby)
• Spanish: Caribe (es) m
• Swahili: Karibiani
• Swedish: Karibien (sv)
• Tagalog: Karibe
• Thai: แคริบเบียน (krâepbian)
• Turkish: Karayipler (tr)