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
Examples of Russian in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Not only does Finland share an 833-mile border with Russia, in the 17th and 18th centuries various monarchs of the Russian Empire repeatedly tried to conquer Finland, which was then part of a Swedish kingdom.
—
Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024
Its first three launches, two of which were successful, all originated from Russia’s Plesetsk Cosmodrome, with the most recent launch occurring from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, which is located in the Amur Oblast of the Russian Far East.
—George Dvorsky / Gizmodo, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024
The tablet menu has options for Ukrainian, English, and Russian—and staff say the majority of clientele speak the latter.
—TIME, 11 Apr. 2024
Read: Steve Bannon’s would-be coalition of Christian traditionalists Russian Orthodoxy looks very different to many who grew up inside it.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
Wiseman joined Netflix in 2013 as an early member of Holland’s content team and developed hits including Dead to Me, Russian Doll, Grace and Frankie, Master of None, Narcos, Ozark and Big Mouth, among others.
—Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
The most China-friendly attitudes are recorded in the Russian Far East, a region that shares a border with China and is most exposed to the country in day-to-day life.
—Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 9 Apr. 2024
Popular spring and summer blooming shrubs Russian Sage (Perovskia artiplicifolia) is a favorite of many homeowners.
—Betty Cahill, The Denver Post, 7 Apr. 2024
Lockshin’s producers distanced themselves from him — but that was not enough to keep them in the good graces of the Russian Cinema Fund.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 1 Apr. 2024
Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024
Its first three launches, two of which were successful, all originated from Russia’s Plesetsk Cosmodrome, with the most recent launch occurring from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, which is located in the Amur Oblast of the Russian Far East.
—George Dvorsky / Gizmodo, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024
The tablet menu has options for Ukrainian, English, and Russian—and staff say the majority of clientele speak the latter.
—TIME, 11 Apr. 2024
Read: Steve Bannon’s would-be coalition of Christian traditionalists Russian Orthodoxy looks very different to many who grew up inside it.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
Wiseman joined Netflix in 2013 as an early member of Holland’s content team and developed hits including Dead to Me, Russian Doll, Grace and Frankie, Master of None, Narcos, Ozark and Big Mouth, among others.
—Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
The most China-friendly attitudes are recorded in the Russian Far East, a region that shares a border with China and is most exposed to the country in day-to-day life.
—Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 9 Apr. 2024
Popular spring and summer blooming shrubs Russian Sage (Perovskia artiplicifolia) is a favorite of many homeowners.
—Betty Cahill, The Denver Post, 7 Apr. 2024
Lockshin’s producers distanced themselves from him — but that was not enough to keep them in the good graces of the Russian Cinema Fund.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 1 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Russian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near Russian
Cite this Entry
“Russian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Russian. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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