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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 ancient Japan 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 the arts of combat and self-defense we associate with modern martial arts. Popular legends still identify them with espionage and assassinations, but modern ninjas are most likely to study ninjutsu to improve their physical fitness and self-defense skills.
Examples of ninja in a Sentence
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 13 May 2025
The hype began in March with the release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, a game whose stealthy action mechanics perfectly fit the historical fantasy of becoming a ninja.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 16 Apr. 2025
Users can personalize the prompt by describing features, aesthetic or desired theme—such as space explorer, fantasy warrior or tech ninja.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
Pricey This tummy-control underwear is the ninja of the shapewear world—invisible but always there for you.
—Malia Griggs, Glamour, 8 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Ninja.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ninja. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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ninja
noun
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