samurai
noun
sam·u·rai
ˈsa-mə-ˌrī 
ˈsam-yə-
plural samurai
1
: a military retainer of a Japanese daimyo practicing the code of conduct of Bushido
2
: the warrior aristocracy of Japan
Examples of samurai in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As in the original, Yaiba is a little samurai boy who has mostly spent time training in the forest with his father.
—
Kambole Campbell, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2025
Set in Ezo, Japan, in 1603, nearly 330 years after the events of Tsushima, Yotei follows Atsu, a wandering mercenary who is hunting for the Yotei Six, a band of disgraced samurai who killed Atsu’s family years earlier.
—Richard Newby, Time, 6 Dec. 2025
Saving the finale for spring, the samurai epic proved auteurs could be series unto themselves.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 25 Nov. 2025
Prior to the Meiji era, the Edo Period, which lasted for 265 years, prioritized the warrior and samurai class, according to the Asian Art Museum.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for samurai
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Kambole Campbell, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2025
Set in Ezo, Japan, in 1603, nearly 330 years after the events of Tsushima, Yotei follows Atsu, a wandering mercenary who is hunting for the Yotei Six, a band of disgraced samurai who killed Atsu’s family years earlier.
—Richard Newby, Time, 6 Dec. 2025
Saving the finale for spring, the samurai epic proved auteurs could be series unto themselves.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 25 Nov. 2025
Prior to the Meiji era, the Edo Period, which lasted for 265 years, prioritized the warrior and samurai class, according to the Asian Art Museum.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for samurai
Cite this Entry
“Samurai.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/samurai. Accessed 15 Dec. 2025.
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samurai
noun
sam·u·rai
ˈsam-(y)ə-ˌrī
plural samurai
: a warrior serving a Japanese feudal lord and practicing a code of conduct which valued honor over life
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