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

Read More About: Matt Tyrnauer, Nobu, Nobu Matsuhisa, Tribeca Festival Jump to Comments ‘Nobu’ Review: Japanese Celebrity Chef Gets a Food Doc That Plays Like a Branded Advertisement Reviewed at Tribeca Festival (Spotlight+), June 11, 2024. —Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 June 2025

Consider, for instance, AlphaZero, the revolutionary AI model that’s capable of playing three games—chess, Go and shogi (Japanese chess)—at a superhuman level. —Vinay K. Chaudhri, Scientific American, 16 June 2025

Takahashi outlines the complex links between Zainichi hibakusha, Japanese hibakusha, and Korean hibakusha in North and South Korea. —E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 16 June 2025

The menu here, which had been Mexican-leaning when chef Daniel del Prado was part of the operation, has switched to Japanese with a hint of Mexican sprinkled in. —Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 12 June 2025

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

Rhymes for Japanese

• abcs
• absentees
• addressees
• adoptees
• allottees
• amputees
• antifreeze
• appellees
• appointees
• arrestees
• artistes
• assamese

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