: a Japanese art of self-defense employing hand strikes and kicks to disable or subdue an opponent
Examples of karate in a Sentence
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As always, the parking was out of control at the karate school, which is in a strip mall shared by about a dozen other shops.
—
Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
Jason was also a martial artist and owned and operated his own karate studios.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
On top of Megadeth’s Grammy accolades and double-platinum record sales, Mustaine beat throat cancer in 2019, holds black belts in taekwondo and karate, and owns a successful winemaking business with his wife and daughter.
—Eli Enis, Pitchfork, 26 Jan. 2026
The karate-kicking all-women trio dazzled audiences for years, becoming a cultural phenomena as people tuned into watch their crime-fighting exploits.
—Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
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Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
Jason was also a martial artist and owned and operated his own karate studios.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
On top of Megadeth’s Grammy accolades and double-platinum record sales, Mustaine beat throat cancer in 2019, holds black belts in taekwondo and karate, and owns a successful winemaking business with his wife and daughter.
—Eli Enis, Pitchfork, 26 Jan. 2026
The karate-kicking all-women trio dazzled audiences for years, becoming a cultural phenomena as people tuned into watch their crime-fighting exploits.
—Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for karate
Cite this Entry
“Karate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/karate. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
karate
noun
ka·ra·te
kə-ˈrät-ē 
: a Japanese art of self-defense without a weapon
Etymology
from Japanese karate, literally, "empty hand"
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