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

The Revuelto Impavido comes in a unique livery inspired meant to look like samurai armor. — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 22 July 2026

Raised to be a samurai, Kenji never got to fulfill his destiny when the Meiji Restoration in Japan dismantled the samurai class. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 21 July 2026

The most iconic is the Nakasendo Way, which can take as long as eleven days along the old samurai highway from Kyoto to Tokyo. — David Hochman, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026

Miyamoto is portrayed by the late actor Toshiro Minafune, perhaps best known for his roles as a samurai in classic Akira Kurosawa films like Seven Samurai, Rashomon, and Yojimbo. — Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 2 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Japanese

First Known Use

1727, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for samurai

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

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