plural Kyivans
: a native or inhabitant of Kyiv, Ukraine
Kyivan adjective

Examples of Kyivan 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.
Putin has tried to justify the invasion of Ukraine by claiming that modern Russia is the direct descendant of ninth-century Kyivan Rus, and that Ukrainians are therefore really Russians. Elizaveta Gaufman, The Conversation, 30 Oct. 2025 Over time, political fragmentation and attacks from the Mongol Empire resulted in the decline of Kyivan Rus, and many of its former lands fell under Lithuanian and Polish rule. Karina Zaiets, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2013

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Kyivan was in 1879

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Cite this Entry

“Kyivan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Kyivan. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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