samurai

noun

sam·​u·​rai ˈsa-mə-ˌrī 

ˈsam-yə-

plural samurai

1

: a military retainer of a Japanese daimyo practicing the code of conduct of Bushido

2

: the warrior aristocracy of Japan

Examples of samurai in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

When it was released back in 2020, Ghost of Tsushima struck a chord with players with its razor-sharp samurai gameplay and heavenly aesthetics. —Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025

The series throws its 292 fallen samurai warriors into a fight to the death and, ultimately, for the winner, untold riches, with period echoes of FX’s wildly successful Shogun and plot echoes of Netflix’s own blockbuster Squid Game. —Mathew Scott, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2025

Samurai Troopers blended elements of mecha, sentai, and the samurai into a hugely popular and enduring anime, something this Blu-ray set pays tribute to. —Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025

Is Meghan comparing herself to a samurai? —Radhika Seth, Vogue, 26 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Japanese

First Known Use

1727, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for samurai

• abscissae
• alibi
• alkali
• alumni
• amoebae
• amplify
• annuli
• beautify
• brachii
• butterfly
• calculi
• certify

Kids Definition

samurai

noun

sam·​u·​rai ˈsam-(y)ə-ˌrī 

plural samurai

: a warrior serving a Japanese feudal lord and practicing a code of conduct which valued honor over life