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

Young, 49, is the co-founder of Vintage Japanese Motor Union, a thriving community of car enthusiasts, dedicated to preserving and celebrating pre-1975 smog-exempt cars. —Pamela Chelin, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2025

But the breathtaking audacity of imagining Paramount+’s German office as a Nazi war room raises the beef to A5 Japanese Wagyu levels, right along with casting an actor who speaks like a nefarious officer in a WWII movie. —Scott Tobias, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025

After the bursting of the bubble, Japanese had high risk aversion and considered investing in the stock market as similar to gambling. —Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2025

Mother’s Day Ikebana/Japanese Flower Arrangement Class: A glass vase and plant materials will be provided. —Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Apr. 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