Australian

IPA/ɒstɹˈeɪliən/
KK[ɔstrˈeljən]IPA/ɔːstrˈeɪljən/

Australian — adjective

1. coming from, made in, or having a link with the country of Australia, including

1.adjectiveA1
Definition

coming from, made in, or having a link with the country of Australia, including its land, people, food, and culture.

Example

Mei tried her first Australian meat pie at a bakery in Melbourne.

modifies a concrete noun: Australian + [food/object]

The Australian flag has a blue background with white stars and a Union Jack.

Australian + national symbol

Common collocations
  • Australian accent
  • Australian wine
  • Australian Open
  • Australian dollar
  • Australian wildlife
Synonyms
  • Aussie

    informal short form, common in speech and casual writing

  • Antipodean

    literary or humorous; covers Australia and New Zealand together

Usage Note

Always written with a capital A because it comes from a country name. Often used before a noun (Australian wine, Australian accent) and rarely placed after a linking verb on its own.

Common Mistakes

I bought some australian honey at the market.
I bought some Australian honey at the market.
adjectives formed from country names always start with a capital letter.
She speaks Australian.
She speaks English with an Australian accent.
Australian is not the name of a language; it describes things linked to Australia.

Australian — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Australian is the neutral, all-purpose word and works in any setting, from passports and news reports to friendly chat. Aussie is the everyday short form: very warm and informal, perfect for spoken English and casual writing, but it can sound too light for legal or academic contexts. Antipodean is much rarer and slightly humorous or literary; it groups Australians with New Zealanders and is often used by British writers describing the southern hemisphere. So you might say "My neighbour is an Australian doctor" in a formal report, but tell your friend "A couple of Aussies just moved in next door." Save Antipodean for travel writing, sports columns, or jokes.

Australian ↗Aussie ↗Antipodean

Common collocations

Nouns

  • Australian citizen
  • Australian dollar
  • Australian government
  • Australian outback
  • Australian Open

Adverbs

  • typically Australian
  • distinctly Australian
  • uniquely Australian

Phrases

  • born and raised Australian
  • proud to be Australian
  • the Australian way of life

Prepositions

  • Australian of [origin]
  • Australian by birth
  • Australian from [city]

Etymology

LatinModern LatinEnglish

The word grew out of the place name Australia, which scholars in the late 1700s built from the Latin phrase Terra Australis, meaning "southern land." Early European explorers used Terra Australis for any large landmass thought to lie far in the southern seas. After British settlement of the continent began in 1788, the form Australian came into regular English use as both an adjective for things linked to the colony and a noun for its settlers. By the mid-nineteenth century it was the standard word in newspapers and government records.