Russian

noun

Rus·​sian ˈrə-shən 

1

a

: a native or inhabitant of Russia

b

: a member of the dominant Slavic-speaking ethnic group of Russia

c

: a person of Russian descent

2

: a Slavic language of the Russian people spoken as a second language by many non-Russian ethnic groups of the Soviet Union and its successor states

Russian adjective

Russianness

ˈrə-shən-nəs 

noun

Examples of Russian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The encounter took place between Poland and Lithuania near Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave from where Moscow's military aircraft frequently fly. —Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 May 2025

Forbes is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Also known as the Siberian tiger, the Amur tiger is the largest living cat in the world and primarily roams the Russian Far East, with a few straying into northeastern China. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed 94 drones were downed over six regions. —Dragana Jovanovic, ABC News, 24 May 2025

The meeting was the first time the head of the Catholic Church and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church had been together since the East-West Schism in 1054. —Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 23 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing Russian

• anti-Russian
• Great Russian
• non-Russian
• Russian blue
• Russian dressing
• Russian olive
• Russian roulette
• Russian sage
• Russian thistle
• Russian wolfhound
• White Russian

Rhymes for Russian

• kushan
• belorussian
• repercussion
• byelorussian
• concussion
• discussion
• percussion

Kids Definition

Russian

noun

Rus·​sian ˈrəsh-ən 

1

: a person born or living in Russia

2

: a Slavic language of the Russian people

Russian adjective