samurai
noun
sam·u·rai
ˈsa-mə-ˌrī 
ˈsam-yə-
plural samurai
1
: a military retainer of a Japanese daimyo practicing the code of conduct of Bushido
2
: the warrior aristocracy of Japan
Examples of samurai in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Police arrested a man accused of attacking another man with a samurai sword outside of a Venice apartment complex.
—
Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026
In the final years of the Japanese shogunate, the Shinsengumi were the samurai police force tasked with keeping order in Kyoto.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 8 May 2026
The layout resembled a samurai sword, where the hardest material is concentrated mainly along the cutting edge.
—Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 1 May 2026
Visitors who walk into the museum are greeted with objects ranging from taxidermy animals to a Japanese samurai suit.
—Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for samurai
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.
Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026
In the final years of the Japanese shogunate, the Shinsengumi were the samurai police force tasked with keeping order in Kyoto.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 8 May 2026
The layout resembled a samurai sword, where the hardest material is concentrated mainly along the cutting edge.
—Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 1 May 2026
Visitors who walk into the museum are greeted with objects ranging from taxidermy animals to a Japanese samurai suit.
—Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for samurai
Cite this Entry
“Samurai.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/samurai. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
samurai
noun
sam·u·rai
ˈsam-(y)ə-ˌrī
plural samurai
: a warrior serving a Japanese feudal lord and practicing a code of conduct which valued honor over life
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
