jean

noun

plural jeans
1
: a durable twilled cotton cloth used especially for sportswear and work clothes
2
usually jeans : 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 jeansJared Diamond
see also blue jeans, mom jeans

Examples of jean in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
They’re made from mostly cotton (and sustainable cotton, at that), aren’t too stretchy, and follow the subtle wide leg jeans trend one of our stylists highlights below. Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 24 Mar. 2026 The brand debuted its first-ever women’s denim collection this month, offering a vintage wide-leg jean and an oversize denim jacket in bone and light indigo washes. Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 24 Mar. 2026 While not quite as ubiquitous as a pair of jeans, the denim jacket is just slightly younger, having been introduced by Levi Strauss only a few years after the business introduced its most famous product in 1873. Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 23 Mar. 2026 Pairing your long bottoms with a matching jean jacket offers the illusion of effort when, in reality, your ensemble took virtually no time to toss together. India Roby, Glamour, 23 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for jean

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of jean was in 1567

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Jean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jean. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

jean

noun
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"

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