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 North's official Korean Central News Agency said Kim, during his visits to the western shipyard of Nampo on Tuesday and Wednesday, also inspected the construction of a third destroyer of the same class as his 5,000-ton warship, the Choe Hyon, first unveiled in April 2025. Arkansas Online, 6 Mar. 2026 Ju Ae is seen admiring a few dogs, including a traditional Korean Pungsan. Jen Kwon, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026 There’s more on the horizon for Korean Air, too. Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 6 Mar. 2026 In Boyfriend on Demand, Netflix’s glossy new Korean rom-com, Blackpink’s Jisoo stars as Seo Mi-rae, a 29-year-old woman who works as a producer at a small webtoon company in Seoul. Kayti Burt, Time, 6 Mar. 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 12 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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