ninja

noun

nin·​ja ˈnin-jə 

-(ˌ)jä

plural ninja also ninjas

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

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 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

Recent Examples on the Web

On his website, drone footage shows the man at work, with a mask over his face, moving at night like a ninja with a collapsible ladder, using skills learned during some years working construction. —Steve Appleford, Rolling Stone, 1 Apr. 2024

This bra is like a ninja that secretly minimizes your bust, with ultra-thin padding for a disappearing neckline and invisible edges for a clean look. —Courtney Leiva, Peoplemag, 20 Nov. 2023

Perry was a sarcasm ninja, honoring both the barb and the inevitable insecurity that launched it. —Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2023

Even its cartoon mascot — an adorable ninja — has had a hard time persuading office employees to bundle up in scarves and blankets and shiver at their desks. —Hisako Ueno, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2023

Along those lines, here's a new robot from Harvard that looks like an innocent piece of plastic, but is actually a silent ninja with a variety of interesting gaits. —Sean Carroll, Discover Magazine, 29 Nov. 2011

Some people went missing, like the parents of Arin (Deven Mack), a boy who wants to be a ninja. —Degen Pener, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 June 2023

And for some time to come, humans will be grappling with the fallout from the social isolation, economic dislocation and political upheaval brought on by a virus that measures 10 nanometers in diameter and spreads through the air with the stealth of a ninja. —Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2023

He’s often likened to a ninja by the NBC broadcast booth, and for good reason. —Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 26 Apr. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Japanese, from nin- persevere, conceal, move stealthily + -ja person

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

ninja

noun

nin·​ja ˈnin-jə 

-(ˌ)jä

plural ninja also ninjas

: a person trained in ancient Japanese arts of combat and self-defense and employed especially for espionage and assassinations