Singaporean

Sin·ga·po·re·an
S1I1N1G2A1P3O1R1E1A1N1
UK/sɪŋ.(ɡ)əˈpɔː.ɹi.ən/US/ˌsɪŋ.(ɡ)əˈpo.ɹi.ən/

adjective

Of, pertaining to, or from Singapore, or its language or people.

Similar
Less commonScrabble 14

Meanings

adjectiveSingaporean (comparative more Singaporean, superlative most Singaporean)

comparative more Singaporean · superlative most Singaporean

  1. Of, pertaining to, or from Singapore, or its language or people.

    Below is an example of a typical Singaporean "bento", often wolfed down next to the computer. It's prepared from lots of lousy cooking oil, preserved vegetables, soggy low-quality rice and omelette with more air and oil than egg inside.

    2020, Chan Joon Yee, “What Do I Eat?”, in Not Quite over the Hill: Swinging My Way to 60 and beyond, [S.l.]: Dewdrop Books
    2 more examples

    About mid-day, yesterday, intelligence was received [in?] Town that a Tiger had been kidnapped about three miles out in the Country, or jungle, […] No sooner had the news spread abroad than Offices and high stools were abandoned and such a furbishing up of rusty fire arms took place as had not been witnessed since the foundation of the City. Any one ignorant of the cause might have supposed from the long array of armed hack palankeen carriages that some unknown enemy had landed in the back settlements of Bukit Timah and that nothing but the flower of Singaporean chivalry could serve to stem the torrent of invasion.

    1843 November 15 (date written), “a sportsman” [pseudonym], “Correspondence”, in [William Napier], editor, The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, volume 8, no. 46, number CCCCXXV, Singapore: […] G. M. Frederick at the Singapore Free Press Office, […], published 16 November 1843, →OCLC, page 3, column 1

    In Singaporean gardens the rarest of moth orchids are planted in cocoanut-shells and hung from the verandahs, or placed on the mango or orange trees on the lawn, where they soon establish themselves. How many English orchid amateurs would wish for such a genial clime.

    1880, F[rederick] W[illiam] Burbidge, “Singapore”, in The Gardens of the Sun: Or A Naturalist’s Journal on the Mountains and in the Forests and Swamps of Borneo and the Sulu Archipelago, London: John Murray, […], →OCLC, page 18

    Synonyms: S'porean

nounSingaporean (plural Singaporeans)

plural Singaporeans

  1. A person from Singapore, or descended from such a person.

    I am a Singaporean, and I lived on the island for 20 years before coming to the United States for my college education.

    1997 January 20, Ser Meng Tay, “Singapore: A nation in denial? [letter]”, in Stephen B. Shepard, editor, BusinessWeek, Asian edition, New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 5, column 2
    5 more examples

    [T]he second place was warmly contested by a lad from Macao and a Singaporean, and after a separate examination in History, Astronomy and Geography, in which some very difficult questions were put by the examiners generally, assisted by Dr. [William] Montgomerie—it was decided in favour of the former.

    1837 December 28, “Report [of the Singapore Free Schools]”, in Singapore Institution Free School. Fourth Annual Report. 1837–38. […], Singapore: […] Singapore Free Press Office, published 1838, →OCLC, page 6

    A great deal has been done for Singapore by gangs of convicts from Bengal, Madras, and Bombay, who, under an experienced and able superintendent, have cut and made excellent roads, that now extend east, west, north, and south, for several miles. […] [T]hey [the roads] also add much to the enjoyment of the Singaporean, by enabling him to extend his ride or drive of an evening.

    1846, G. F. Davidson, “Singapore”, in Trade and Travel in the Far East; or Recollections of Twenty-one Years Passed in Java, Singapore, Australia, and China, London: Madden and Malcolm, […], →OCLC, page 43

    We beg to call the attention of the community to a most interesting book which is proposed to be published by Mr. J[ohn] Thomson, F.R.G.S., who is an old Singaporean and who will be known to many here by his account and photographs of the lost cities of Cambodia.

    1872 October, S. T., “Foreign Items”, in Samuel J[ones] Smith, editor, The Siam Repository, Containing a Summary of Asiatic Intelligence, volume 4, number 4, Bangkok: S. J. Smith’s place, →OCLC, page 394, column 2

    Many Singaporeans have fond memories of eating chilli crabs and cockles at its Upper East Coast Road premises, not far from the old Bedok Road, as recently as the early '80s.

    1996 June 23, Magdalene Lum, “40 good years dishing up chilli crabs”, in The Sunday Times, Singapore: Singapore Press Holdings, →OCLC, Sunday Plus section, page 5, column 1

    Chili Crabs or Lobster: This is a popular dish amongst Singaporeans. It is also a common feature in the menus of famous seafood restaurants (along East Coast and Punggol).

    2009, Beatrice Batnag Donofrio, Lawrence Wheeler, 1000+ Indigenous Tasty Cu[i]sine of 23 Asian Countries, [Bloomington, Ind.]: Xlibris, →ISBN, page 565

    Synonyms: S'porean

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveOf, pertaining to, or from Singapore, or its language or people.

Similar

nounA person from Singapore, or descended from such a person.

Similar

Origin

From Singapore (“island and city-state in Southeast Asia”) + -an (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives; and forming agent nouns).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans Singapoerees, Singapoers
  • Singapoereesof, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
  • Singapoersof, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
  • Singapoereesperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
Arabic سِنْغَافُورِيّ, سِنْغَافُورِيّ
  • سِنْغَافُورِيّ (sinḡāfūriyy)of, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
  • سِنْغَافُورِيّ (sinḡāfūriyy)person from Singapore, or descended from such a person
  • سِنْغَافُورِيَّة (sinḡāfūriyya)person from Singapore, or descended from such a person
Bulgarian сингапурски
  • сингапурски (singapurski)of, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
Catalan singapurès, singapurès
  • singapurèsof, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
  • singapurèsperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
Chinese Mandarin 新加坡的, 新加坡人
  • 新加坡的 (Xīnjiāpō de)of, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
  • 新加坡人 (Xīnjiāpōrén)person from Singapore, or descended from such a person
Czech singapurský, Singapuřan
  • singapurskýof, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
  • Singapuřanperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
  • Singapurecperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
  • Singapurkaperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
Danish singaporeansk, singaporeaner
  • singaporeanskof, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
  • singaporeanerperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
Dutch Singaporees, Singaporees
  • Singaporeesof, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
  • Singaporeesperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
  • Singaporeseperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
Esperanto singapurano, singapuranino
  • singapuranoperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
  • singapuraninoperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
Finnish singaporelainen, singaporelainen
  • singaporelainenof, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
  • singaporelainenperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
French singapourien, Singapourien
  • singapourienof, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
  • Singapourienperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
  • Singapourienneperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
German singapurisch, Singapurer
  • singapurischof, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
  • Singapurerperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
  • Singapurerinperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
Hebrew סִינְגָּפּוּרִי, סִינְגָּפּוּרִית
  • סִינְגָּפּוּרִי (singapúri)of, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
  • סִינְגָּפּוּרִית (singapúrit)of, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
  • סִינְגָּפּוּרִי (singapúri)person from Singapore, or descended from such a person
Hindi सिंगापुरी, सिंगापुरी
  • सिंगापुरी (siṅgāpurī)of, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
  • सिंगापुरी (siṅgāpurī)person from Singapore, or descended from such a person
Hungarian szingapúri, szingapúri
  • szingapúriof, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
  • szingapúriperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
Indonesian Singapura
  • Singapuraof, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
Irish Singeapórach, Singeapórach
  • Singeapórachof, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
  • Singeapórachperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
Italian singaporiano
  • singaporianoof, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
Japanese シンガポールの, シンガポール人
  • シンガポールの (Shingapōru-no)of, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
  • シンガポール人 (Shingapōru-jin)person from Singapore, or descended from such a person
Korean 싱가포르의, 싱가포르인
  • 싱가포르의 (Singgaporeu-ui)of, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
  • 싱가포르인 (singgaporeu'in)person from Singapore, or descended from such a person
  • 싱가포르 사람 (singgaporeu saram)person from Singapore, or descended from such a person
Latvian singapūrietis, singapūriete
  • singapūrietisperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
  • singapūrieteperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
Lithuanian singapūrietis, singapūrietė
  • singapūrietisperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
  • singapūrietėperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
Malay Singapura, orang Singapura
  • Singapuraof, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
  • orang Singapuraperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
Norwegian Bokmål singaporsk, singaporer
  • singaporskof, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
  • singaporerperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
Polish singapurski, Singapurczyk
  • singapurskiof, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
  • Singapurczykperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
  • Singapurkaperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
Portuguese singapurense, singapuriano
  • singapurenseof, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
  • singapurianoof, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
  • singapurianoperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
Romanian singaporez, singaporez
  • singaporezof, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
  • singaporezperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
  • singaporezăperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
Russian сингапу́рский, сингапу́рец
  • сингапу́рский (singapúrskij)of, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
  • сингапу́рец (singapúrec)person from Singapore, or descended from such a person
  • сингапу́рка (singapúrka)person from Singapore, or descended from such a person
Spanish singapurense, singapurense
  • singapurenseof, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
  • singapurenseperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
Swedish singaporiansk, singaporian
  • singaporianskof, from, or pertaining to Singapore, or its language or people
  • singaporianperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person
Turkish Singapurlu
  • Singapurluperson from Singapore, or descended from such a person

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with Singaporean

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

Singaporean. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Singaporean

MLA

“Singaporean.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Singaporean. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Singaporean,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Singaporean.

Source: Singaporean on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.