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
Ben Croll, Variety, 19 May 2025
The 24-year-old lefty, who survived cancer to pitch the World Series clincher for the Red Sox last fall, allowed two baserunners, walking Billy Butler in the second inning and Esteban German to open the ninth.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2025
The 10th century basilica was founded by German Emperor Otto III to house the relics of St. Bartholomew.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 19 May 2025
The Director, by Daniel Kehlmann, translated from the German by Ross Benjamin (Simon & Schuster).
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for German
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Noun
In German, there’s a word—ungeschützt—to be exposed.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 19 May 2025
The 24-year-old lefty, who survived cancer to pitch the World Series clincher for the Red Sox last fall, allowed two baserunners, walking Billy Butler in the second inning and Esteban German to open the ninth.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2025
The 10th century basilica was founded by German Emperor Otto III to house the relics of St. Bartholomew.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 19 May 2025
The Director, by Daniel Kehlmann, translated from the German by Ross Benjamin (Simon & Schuster).
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for German
Cite this Entry
“German.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/German. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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