1
a
: a native or inhabitant of Germany
b
: a person of German descent
c
: one whose native language is German and who is a native of a country other than Germany
2
a
: the Germanic language spoken mainly in Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland
b
: the literary and official language of Germany
3
: a member of any of the Germanic peoples inhabiting western Europe in Roman times
4
often not capitalized
a
: a dance consisting of intricate figures that are improvised and intermingled with waltzes
b
chiefly Midland US
: a dancing party
specifically
: one at which the german is danced
: of, relating to, or characteristic of Germany, the Germans, or German
ger·man
ˈjər-mən 
: having the same parents or the same grandparents on either the maternal or paternal side
—usually used after the noun which it modifies and joined to it by a hyphen
brother-german
cousin-german
obsolete
: a near relative
Examples of German in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 10 Oct. 2024
During his time in Liverpool, the German won almost every trophy possible including the Premier League, the Champions League, the FA Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Super League.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 9 Oct. 2024
On this day in 1949: The German Democratic Republic, also known as East Germany, was officially established during the Cold War.
—Mark Jones, The Arizona Republic, 7 Oct. 2024
The German was delighted with his team following the rousing victory, which was brought about by a Robert Lewandowski hat trick and managing to keep a clean sheet at the other end.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for German 
Noun
Investigators and firefighters are still on scene after a large fire broke out at the former St. Paul’s German Evangelical Church and Parish House near downtown Louisville Wednesday.
—Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 10 Oct. 2024
During his time in Liverpool, the German won almost every trophy possible including the Premier League, the Champions League, the FA Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Super League.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 9 Oct. 2024
On this day in 1949: The German Democratic Republic, also known as East Germany, was officially established during the Cold War.
—Mark Jones, The Arizona Republic, 7 Oct. 2024
The German was delighted with his team following the rousing victory, which was brought about by a Robert Lewandowski hat trick and managing to keep a clean sheet at the other end.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for German
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'German.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near German
Cite this Entry
“German.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/German. Accessed 22 Oct. 2024.
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