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

But fame and power should only be pursued along a path aligned with virtue – a life in accord with the samurai’s core oath. —Kenneth Andrew Andres Leonardo, The Conversation, 8 Jan. 2026

As in the original, Yaiba is a little samurai boy who has mostly spent time training in the forest with his father. —Kambole Campbell, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2025

Set in Ezo, Japan, in 1603, nearly 330 years after the events of Tsushima, Yotei follows Atsu, a wandering mercenary who is hunting for the Yotei Six, a band of disgraced samurai who killed Atsu’s family years earlier. —Richard Newby, Time, 6 Dec. 2025

If the equivalent story were set in 2025, Marty might be a video game wizard or a sudoku samurai. —Peter Debruge, Variety, 1 Dec. 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