Japanese

noun

Jap·​a·​nese ˌja-pə-ˈnēz 

-ˈnēs

plural Japanese

1

a

: a native or inhabitant of Japan

b

: a person of Japanese descent

2

: the language of the Japanese

Japanese adjective

Examples of Japanese in a Sentence

the customs of the Japanese

He is learning to speak Japanese.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Modern Japanese Suites, however, lean entirely traditional with proper tatami mats and shoji screens. —Paul Jebara, Travel + Leisure, 23 Dec. 2024

The two Japanese OEMs want to merge by 2026, creating the world's third-largest car company in the process. —Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 23 Dec. 2024

The Road Ahead: Will Japanese Automakers Become the Cool Kids Again? —Jeetendr Sehdev, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024

They are expected to hold a press conference Monday afternoon, according to a Google translation of the report in Japanese. —Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 22 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing Japanese

• anti-Japanese
• Japanese andromeda
• Japanese beetle
• Japanese cedar
• Japanese eggplant
• Japanese giant hornet
• Japanese iris
• Japanese lacquer
• Japanese maple
• Japanese millet
• Japanese plum
• Japanese pumpkin
• Japanese quail
• Japanese quince
• Japanese spurge
• non-Japanese
• the Japanese

Kids Definition

Japanese

noun

Jap·​a·​nese ˌjap-ə-ˈnēz 

-ˈnēs

plural Japanese

1

a

: a person born or living in Japan

b

: a person of Japanese ancestry

2

: the language of the Japanese

Japanese adjective