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See also: creole, Créole, and créole



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Variously from French créole, from its source, Spanish criollo, and from its source, Portuguese crioulo, itself probably a diminutive of cria (person raised in one’s house, servant), from criar (to rear, to bring up), from Latin creō (I create, make, produce).


  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈkɹiːəʊl/, /ˈkɹeɪəʊl/
  • (US) enPR: krēʹōl, IPA(key): /ˈkɹiˌoʊl/, /ˈkɹeɪˌoʊl/
  • (file)


Creole (plural Creoles)

  1. A descendant of white European settlers who is born in a colonized country. [from 17th c.]
    • 1969, Shmuel Noah Eisenstadt, The Political Systems of Empires, page 76:
      Within the Spanish society, a great difference evolved between the Insular Spaniards, sent over for different periods of time from Spain, to serve as officials, etc., and the "native" Spaniards, the Creoles.
  2. Anyone with mixed ancestry born in a country colonized by white Europeans, now especially one who speaks a creole language. [from 18th c.]
  3. Someone of black African descent who is born in the Caribbean or Americas (originally as opposed to an African immigrant). [from 18th c.]

Derived termsEdit


Usage notesEdit

  • In modern usage, the human senses are not always easily distinguishable, but the term generally indicates groups with shared European heritage of some kind. In some specific cases the usage is mainly historical, but it remains a current term notably for descendants of French settlers in Louisiana and other parts of the United States.


Creole (comparative more Creole, superlative most Creole)

  1. Pertaining to or characteristic of someone who is a Creole. [from 18th c.]
  2. (of a person) That is a Creole; especially, born in a colonized country different from that of his or her ancestors. [from 18th c.]
  3. Designating a creolized language. [from 18th c.]
  4. (cooking) Prepared according to a cooking style developed in a Creole area, now especially that of Louisiana, characterised by a mixture of European and African influences. [from 19th c.]

Proper nounEdit


  1. Any specific creole language, especially that of Haiti. [from 18th c.]
    • 2002, Matt Cyr, Something to Teach Me: Journal of an American in the Mountains of Haiti, Educa Vision, Inc., ISBN 1584321385, 25:
      His English is still in its beginning stages, like my Creole, but he was able to translate some Creole songs that he's written into English—not the best English, but English nonetheless.
    She grew up speaking Creole.
    Along with French, Creole is one of Haiti's official languages.

Further readingEdit