jean

noun

ˈjēn 

plural jeans

1

: a durable twilled cotton cloth used especially for sportswear and work clothes

2

usually jeans

ˈjēnz 

: pants usually made of denim or jean

… strolling with royal puppy Lupo through Kensington Gardens near the couple's two-bedroom cottage in a pair of jeans and rain boots.

—Alicia Dennis et al.

Millions of people today buy designer jeans for double the price of equally durable generic jeans …

—Jared Diamond

see also blue jeans, mom jeans

Examples of jean in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Xt-6s really nail that balance of fashion-meets-function, with plush cushioning for long travel days and a sleek design that pairs well with everything from jeans to dresses. —Kayla Kitts, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025

Wear it with a tee, flare jeans, and sneakers to go to the farmer’s market, or layer it over a blouse and put on trousers and loafers for more formal outings. —Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2025

Meanwhile, Quintosapore has partnered with Candiani Denim and Matteo Ward, founder ofWRÅD, a design studio focused on sustainable development now under the Inside Out umbrella of Suzy Amis Cameron, on biodegradable denim jeans. —Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 6 Sep. 2025

For a cozy, preppy look for fall, for example, pair your favorite brown riding boots with black leggings or skinny jeans and a sweater. —Abby Morgan Lebet, Glamour, 5 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

short for jean fustian, from Middle English Gene Genoa, Italy + fustian

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing jean

• jean shorts

Rhymes for jean

• bean
• bein
• bien
• bouin
• chine
• clean
• deen
• diene
• gene
• glean
• keen
• lien

Kids Definition

jean

noun

ˈjēn 

1

: a heavy cotton cloth used especially for sportswear and work clothes

2

plural : pants made of jean, denim, or corduroy

Etymology

a shortened form of earlier jean fustian, literally "a fustian (heavy cotton cloth) from Genoa," from Middle English Gene "Genoa, Italy"