Russian

noun

Rus·​sian ˈrə-shən 

1

a

: a native or inhabitant of Russia

b

: a member of the dominant Slavic-speaking ethnic group of Russia

c

: a person of Russian descent

2

: a Slavic language of the Russian people spoken as a second language by many non-Russian ethnic groups of the Soviet Union and its successor states

Russian adjective

Russianness

ˈrə-shən-nəs 

noun

Examples of Russian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Zelensky previously refused to cede territory to Russia to bring an end to the war, while Moscow has demanded Ukraine give up its aspirations to join NATO, and recognize Crimea and the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, as Russian. —Isabel Van Brugen, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025

The Russian Defense Ministry on Sunday accused Ukraine of violating Moscow’s ceasefire more than 14,000 times. —Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2025

After the Napoleonic wars in Europe, Germans from their country’s southern Württemberg region began settling in Azerbaijan in 1817, lured by the Russian Empire’s promise of free land, tax exemptions and religious freedom. —Tom Mullen, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025

The Trump administration is also prepared to recognize the Ukrainian region of Crimea that Putin annexed in 2014 as Russian, Bloomberg reported in April. —Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 10 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing Russian

• anti-Russian
• Great Russian
• non-Russian
• Russian blue
• Russian dressing
• Russian olive
• Russian roulette
• Russian sage
• Russian thistle
• Russian wolfhound
• White Russian

Rhymes for Russian

• kushan
• belorussian
• repercussion
• byelorussian
• concussion
• discussion
• percussion

Kids Definition

Russian

noun

Rus·​sian ˈrəsh-ən 

1

: a person born or living in Russia

2

: a Slavic language of the Russian people

Russian adjective