Korean

noun

Ko·​re·​an kə-ˈrē-ən How to pronounce Korean (audio)
 especially Southern  (ˌ)kō-
1
: a native or inhabitant of Korea
2
: the language of the Korean people
Korean adjective

Examples of Korean in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Suh’s own childhood home was an outlier amid Seoul’s changing cityscape during the 1970s, which underwent rapid development after the Korean War left the city in ruins. Megan Williams, CNN Money, 1 May 2025 Decker-Jacoby suggests picking up a variety pack on the way to your next party and says Korean Plum is a must-try. Jennifer Chan, StyleCaster, 30 Apr. 2025 Meanwhile, the Korean Cinema Today Vision strand will expand into two sections — Vision-Asia and Vision-Korea. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 29 Apr. 2025 And in February, a case was reported in a non-L.A. County resident who arrived on a Korean Air flight from Seoul. Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for Korean

Word History

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Korean was in 1600

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Korean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Korean. Accessed 5 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

Korean

noun
Ko·​re·​an kə-ˈrē-ən How to pronounce Korean (audio)
1
: a person born or living in Korea
2
: the language of the Korean people
Korean adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on Korean

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!