The Orient is the East, traditionally comprising anything that belongs to the Eastern world, in relation to Europe. In English, it is largely a metonym for, and coterminous with, the continent of Asia, divided into the Near East, Middle East and Far East. Originally, the term Orient was used to designate the Near East, and later its meaning evolved and expanded, designating also the Middle East or the Far East. The term Oriental is often used to describe objects from the Orient; it is generally considered inappropriate to use it to describe people from East Asia, given its Eurocentric connotations and shifting, inaccurate definition through the ages. As such, the term may cause offence.