Korean

noun

Ko·​re·​an kə-ˈrē-ən How to pronounce Korean (audio)
especially Southern (ˌ)kō-
1
: a native or inhabitant of Korea
2
: the language of the Korean people
Korean adjective

Examples of Korean in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The shooting-range event came after the conclusion of a congress of the Korean Workers’ Party, a largely rubber-stamp political gathering of the nation’s elite, where Kim’s leadership was reaffirmed by unanimous vote. Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 28 Feb. 2026 But a set of remains buried as a Korean War Unknown defied that process. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026 His five uncles and his father served in WWII and in the Korean War. Marisa Peñaloza, NPR, 27 Feb. 2026 Korean Central News Agency / via Reuters The party congress is a major propaganda event where policy goals are laid out and Kim’s leadership is praised even as international rights groups accuse him of intensifying repression in the reclusive communist country of about 26 million people. Stella Kim, NBC news, 26 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for Korean

Word History

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Korean was in 1600

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Cite this Entry

“Korean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Korean. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

Korean

noun
Ko·​re·​an kə-ˈrē-ən How to pronounce Korean (audio)
1
: a person born or living in Korea
2
: the language of the Korean people
Korean adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on Korean

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