ninja

noun nin·ja \ ˈnin-jə , -(ˌ)jä \

|Updated on: 15 Jun 2018

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of ninja

plural ninja also ninjas

: a person trained in ancient Japanese martial arts and employed especially for espionage and assassinations

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See ninja defined for kids

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Recent Examples of ninja from the Web

Her Catholic ninja origin story Like a lot of comic book characters who debuted in the ‘90s, Domino is a perfect mix of a simple, high concept layered with a ludicrously complicated backstory.

— chris sims, The Verge, "Domino deserves a spinoff film, and there are amazing comic stories to mine," 24 May 2018
Kyler loves anything to do with superheroes and will eagerly show you his 'ninja moves' upon request.

— boys & girls aid / community content partner, OregonLive.com, "A Home of His Own: Kameron, 14, is both thoughtful and articulate.," 23 Mar. 2018
Indoor Activities: Uptown Jungle Fun Park Rock climbing, trampolines, ball-blaster arenas, super slides and ninja courses will entertain kids for hours at this entertainment center near Higley and Recker roads in Mesa.

— wendy killeen, azcentral, "Indoor playgrounds, trampoline parks and places in Phoenix kids can play and stay cool," 24 May 2018
Lucky's will host a bacon-cutting, which involves slicing a huge slab of bacon with a ninja knife.

— nikki delamotte, cleveland.com, "Lucky's Market opens second store in Ohio at Cleveland's Shoppes on Clifton (photos)," 15 May 2018
Szeliga's advice to any ninja newcomer hoping to walk on: Settle for becoming a course tester.

— amy bartner, Indianapolis Star, "7 secrets you should know if you want to get on 'American Ninja Warrior'," 27 Apr. 2018
But at 1:30 that afternoon, they were called to Central Park and found Brown holding a dead pigeon in his hand, striking a ninja pose and threatening to kill a small dog.

— joseph gerth, The Courier-Journal, "Once a promising Louisville politician, Carl Brown died alone, fighting his demons," 20 Apr. 2018
For the virtual ninja, fighting games are more than e-sports.

— chris goto-jones, The Atlantic, "Practicing for Enlightenment With Video Games," 27 Mar. 2018
Fruit ninja should remain an app for this reason: 5.

— noelle devoe, Seventeen, "17 Times Someone Did It For The Vine & Regretted It Immediately," 22 June 2015

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ninja.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Ninjas may seem mysterious, but the origin of their name is not. The word ninja derives from the Japanese characters "nin" and "ja." "Nin" initially meant "persevere," but over time it developed the extended meanings "conceal" and "move stealthily." In Japanese, "ja" is the combining form of sha, meaning "person." Ninjas originated in the mountains of Japan over 800 years ago as practitioners of ninjutsu, a martial art sometimes called "the art of stealth" or "the art of invisibility." They often served as military spies and were trained in disguise, concealment, geography, meteorology, medicine, and also other martial arts. Popular legends still associate them with espionage and assassinations, but modern ninjas are most likely to study ninjutsu to improve their physical fitness and self-defense skills.