occidental means of, pertaining to, or situated in, the occident, or west; western. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 77 out of 100.
occidental is pronounced /ˌɒk.səˈdɛn.təl/.
Why “occidental” is a great word
OCCIDENTAL — [Adjective] Pertaining to, situated in, or characteristic of the west, especially the regions of Europe and the Americas. From the Latin occident-, occidens ("the setting sun, the west") + -alis ("pertaining to"). First attested in English c. 1400. Unlike "western" (a common, geographically neutral term) or "oriental" (its direct and specifically eastern antonym), "occidental" evokes a formal, historical axis of cultural identity. It is the stark geometry of a Roman road receding into a fading light, the gilt frame of a Renaissance map, and the fading scent of cedar in a steamer trunk bound from a colonial port—a word that speaks of a world conceived in the long shadow of its own sunset.
adj
- Of, pertaining to, or situated in, the occident, or west; western.“occidental climates, or customs; an occidental planet.”
- Of a gem or precious stone: of inferior value or quality.
name
- An artificial language, created by Edgar de Wahl later renamed Interlingue shortly before the publication of Interlingua
- A census-designated place in Sonoma County, California, United States.
noun
- A Western Christian of the Latin rite“Most occidentals resident in South China have joined the Chinese in their zealous enthusiasm for the lychee.”