: a person of position and influence often in intellectual or literary circles
especially: an elder and often traditionalist or reactionary member of such a circle
2
capitalized
a
: a form of spoken Chinese used by the court and the official classes of the Empire
b
: the group of closely related Chinese dialects that are spoken in about four fifths of the country and have a standard variety centering about Beijing
3
[Swedish mandarin (apelsin) mandarin (orange), ultimately from Portuguese mandarim mandarin; perhaps from the color of a mandarin's robes]
a
: a small spiny orange tree (Citrus reticulata) of southeastern Asia with yellow to reddish-orange loose-rinded fruits
also: a tree (such as the satsuma) developed in cultivation from the mandarin by selective breeding or hybridization
: marked by polished ornate complexity of language
mandarin prose
Did you know?
The Portuguese were the first to refer to a Chinese official as a "mandarin." The word hails from the Portuguese word mandarim, which developed, by way of Malay měntěri, from Sanskrit mantrin, meaning "counselor." Mandarins were promoted by successfully completing the imperial Chinese examination system, which was primarily based on the teachings of Confucian texts. In time, mandarin became a word for a pedantic official, a bureaucrat, or a person of position and influence. The noun passed into the English language in the late 16th century, and the adjective appeared in the early 17th. You may also know Mandarin as a word for the chief dialect of China or be familiar with the mandarin orange (the fruit's name comes from the orange color of a mandarin official's robe).
Noun the officious mandarins in the motor vehicles department refused to let me renew my license without all of the required forms
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Notes of Italian mandarin and crystalline accord create a scent that is so fresh and so clean before blending into warmer, almondy notes of tonka bean and white musk. Joseph Deacetis, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2022 Orange, lemon and mandarin trees that continue to bear fruit all these decades later. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2022 This warm and spicy fragrance oozes aromatics of fresh and juicy Italian mandarin, spicy gingerbread accord, warm cedarwood, and a twist of pineapple all housed in a luxurious bottle adorned in Valentino’s iconic rock-stud detailing. Grooming Playbook, The Salt Lake Tribune, 20 May 2022 These include top notes of bergamot, Italian green mandarin and diva lavender from France; middle notes of Turkish rose and sage heart; and base notes of Haitian vetiver and bourbon geranium from Madagascar. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 6 Apr. 2022 Housed in a gorgeous golden glass bottle are citrus notes of Italian mandarin and bergamot that are bright, sunny, and perfect for warmer weather. Joseph Deacetis, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2022 Cassirer was laid to rest in a Jewish cemetery in Paramus, New Jersey—a destination the German mandarin could never have imagined. Adam Kirsch, The New York Review of Books, 8 Apr. 2021 Cassirer was laid to rest in a Jewish cemetery in Paramus, New Jersey—a destination the German mandarin could never have imagined. Adam Kirsch, The New York Review of Books, 8 Apr. 2021 Cassirer was laid to rest in a Jewish cemetery in Paramus, New Jersey—a destination the German mandarin could never have imagined. Adam Kirsch, The New York Review of Books, 8 Apr. 2021
Adjective
The sweet-and-sour fish is Cuban pargo (red snapper), not mandarin fish.The Economist, 14 Sep. 2019 See More
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Portuguese mandarim, from Malay mĕntĕri, from Sanskrit mantrin counselor, from mantra counsel — more at mantra