german

adjective ger·man \ ˈjər-mən \

|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

Definition of german

: having the same parents or the same grandparents on either the maternal or paternal side —usually used after the noun which it modifies and joined to it by a hyphen

brother-german

cousin-german

Recent Examples of german from the Web

Over the past 2 years, more than 150 German libraries, universities, and research institutes have formed a united front trying to force academic publishers into a new way of doing business.

— gretchen vogel, Science | AAAS, "A bold open-access push in Germany could change the future of academic publishing," 23 Aug. 2017
Chancellor bidding for fourth term in Sept. 24 German election Party wary of Election Day surprise even with SPD trailing All that stands between Angela Merkel and a fourth term is six weeks of campaigning.

— patrick donahue, Bloomberg.com, "Angela Merkel Has Six Weeks to Make History," 10 Aug. 2017
A 2-year-old German Shepherd, Kano comes to Slidell by way of the Netherlands and will begin patrolling with Morris sometime in September, the police department said.

— bob warren, NOLA.com, "Meet 'Kano,' Slidell's newest crime-fighting dog," 2 Aug. 2017
Investigators ask anyone with information to call Broward Sheriff’s Detective German Bickbau at 954-926-2400.

— caitlin randle, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Dania Beach apartment manager accused of stealing from 84-year-old tenant," 1 Aug. 2017
The rest of the list includes: Honey Lager Light, Bavarian Weiss, Oktoberfest, Punch You in the IPA, Black Lager German style Schwartzbier.

— kathy flanigan, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Beer lover's guide to brews at the Wisconsin State Fair," 31 July 2017
Aries, a 10-year-old German Shepherd, died Sunday, police said in a statement this week.

— rafael guerrero, Elgin Courier-News, "St. Charles police K-9 Aries dies after 9 years with department," 21 June 2017
Hoosierstaat Bierfest 5 to 10 p.m., July 7, German Park, 8600 S. Meridian St., $25-$30, (317) 888-6940 or eventbrite.com, search: Hoosierstaat.

— justin jacobs, Indianapolis Star, "Tater tots, tacos top Indianapolis food events this July," 20 June 2017
In the 1990 German election, the first after unification, Kohl and the CDU triumphed easily.

— krishnadev calamur, The Atlantic, "Former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl Dies," 16 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'german.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of german

Middle English germain, from Anglo-French, from Latin germanus having the same parents, from germen

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First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Other Anthropology Terms

ectomorph, ethnography, prehistory, yurt

german

noun

Definition of german

obsolete

: a near relative

First Known Use of german

15th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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Other Anthropology Terms

ectomorph, ethnography, prehistory, yurt

German

noun Ger·man \ ˈjər-mən \

Definition of German

1 : a member of any of the Germanic peoples inhabiting western Europe in Roman times

2 a : a native or inhabitant of Germany

b : a person of German descent

c : one whose native language is German and who is a native of a country other than Germany

3 a : the Germanic language spoken mainly in Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland

b : the literary and official language of Germany

4 often not capitalized

a : a dance consisting of intricate figures that are improvised and intermingled with waltzes

b chiefly Midland : a dancing party; specifically : one at which the german is danced

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Origin and Etymology of german

Middle English, from Medieval Latin Germanus, from Latin

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First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Language Terms

cognate, collocation, homonym

German

adjective

Definition of German

: of, relating to, or characteristic of Germany, the Germans, or German

First Known Use of german

15th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Language Terms

cognate, collocation, homonym

GERMAN Defined for English Language Learners

German

noun

Definition of German for English Language Learners

: a person born, raised, or living in Germany : a person whose family is from Germany
: the language of Germany that is also spoken in Austria, parts of Switzerland, and other places