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

In 1952, Marilyn Monroe first wore jeans onscreen, helping popularize them for American women. — Faran Krentcil, InStyle, 1 July 2026

Wimbledon fashion is also something that can get patrons in trouble, with Andy Samberg saying he was reprimanded for wearing black jeans in the Royal Box. — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026

Pick up our most coveted finds below to instantly elevate everything from jeans to dresses (and to give yourself an excuse to book that pedicure). — Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 1 July 2026

At the Louis Vuitton men’s show this month, for one, Nigerian rapper Asake paired his jeans and a tee with a silver chain and pearl chain belt—a move that made his whole outfit feel front row-ready. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 1 July 2026

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
• clean
• deen
• diene
• gene
• glean
• keen
• lien
• mean

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"