oriental

Oriental is an historical English term that has been used as both an adjective and, less commonly, a noun to refer to the East, especially regions of Asia and the Middle East. It derives from Latin orientalis, meaning “of the east,” with orient meaning the direction of the rising sun. In Western discourse from the 18th through the early 20th centuries, the term was applied broadly to peoples, cultures, arts, and geographies perceived as East of Europe, and it figured prominently in fields such as philology, art history, and colonial studies.

In art, literature, and scholarship, the related concept of Orientalism described a set of Western representations of Eastern cultures that often exoticized and essentialized those societies. The term also appears in everyday language through phrases like the Oriental rug, Oriental porcelain, or Oriental medicine, which reflect historic branding of goods or practices as “Eastern” in origin.

Modern usage has shifted significantly. When referring to people, Oriental is widely considered outdated or offensive in many contexts, and style guides advise using more specific terms such as East Asian, South Asian, or simply Asian, depending on the geographic or cultural grouping intended. For objects, usage varies by context; many prefer more precise descriptors (for example, Asian rug or a country-specific term) to avoid broad generalizations. The scholarly term Orientalism remains in use in academic discourse as a critical framework for examining Western perceptions of the East, popularized by Edward Said in the late 20th century.

See also: Orientalism, East, East Asia.