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The Cebuano people () are the largest subgroup of the larger ethnolinguistic group Visayans, who constitute the largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group in the country. They originated in the province of Cebu in the region of Central Visayas, but then later spread out to other places in the Philippines, such as Siquijor, Bohol, Negros Oriental, western and southern Leyte, western Samar, Masbate, and large parts of Mindanao. It may also refer to the Pintados who speak the same language as their native tongue in different parts of the archipelago. The term Cebuano also refers to the demonym of permanent residents in Cebu island regardless of ethnicity.
Later early Spanish colonists referred to the Cebuanos (and other Visayans) as the pintados ("the painted ones"), due to their widespread practice of tattooing to record battle exploits.
Among the island's notable festivities are the Sinulog festival, which is a mixture of Christian and native cultural elements, celebrated annually every third week of January.
Despite being one of the largest ethnic groups, Cebuanos outside their homeland tend to fluently learn the languages native in areas where they settled and assimilated, along with their native language. Hiligaynon is spoken and understood by the Cebuanos living in Negros Occidental and Soccsksargen. They often speak a mixture of Cebuano and Hiligaynon in Sagay and neighboring municipalities of Negros Occidental facing Iloilo and Cebu and municipalities bordering Negros Oriental, Bukidnon and Davao del Sur. Cebuano residents in Zamboanga City and Caraga are fluent in Zamboanga Chavacano, Butuanon and Surigaonon respectively, with the two latter are related to Cebuano. They have also varying fluencies in various Lumad languages, the Danao languages, Tausug language (linguistically related to Cebuano), Yakan language, and Sama language, in which these languages are native to the areas where Cebuanos also inhabit, coexist with and even assimilated to the natives, and to the lesser extent, Ilocano language (a language originated in Ilocandia), which is also spoken in Soccsksargen and various parts of Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, Caraga, Zamboanga Sibugay and Davao Region. Cebuanos in Masbate and Eastern Visayas can also speak Masbateño, one of the Bicol languages and Waray language.
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