: a Japanese art of self-defense employing hand strikes and kicks to disable or subdue an opponent
Examples of karate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Pal Che Tang Soo Do karate studio on the first floor was forced to shut down immediately and cancel classes.
—
Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
Wrestling was followed by football, and an encounter with karate at a neighborhood mall — inspired by an early obsession with Bruce Lee — later led to competitive boxing, Brazilian jujitsu and other martial arts disciplines.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 13 Nov. 2025
Spillner, who grew up in the Dane County suburb of Windsor, also earned a third-degree black belt in karate.
—Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Suit linings are slashed in reference to kimono sleeves, while some jackets are wrapped like karate uniforms.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for karate
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.
Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
Wrestling was followed by football, and an encounter with karate at a neighborhood mall — inspired by an early obsession with Bruce Lee — later led to competitive boxing, Brazilian jujitsu and other martial arts disciplines.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 13 Nov. 2025
Spillner, who grew up in the Dane County suburb of Windsor, also earned a third-degree black belt in karate.
—Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Suit linings are slashed in reference to kimono sleeves, while some jackets are wrapped like karate uniforms.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for karate
Cite this Entry
“Karate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/karate. Accessed 24 Nov. 2025.
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"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share