sansei

noun

san·​sei ˌsän-ˈ How to pronounce sansei (audio)
ˈsän-ˌsā
plural sansei
often capitalized
: a son or daughter of nisei parents who is born and educated in America and especially in the U.S.

Examples of sansei in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Its permanent collection, reinstalled after a recent move, will be complemented by this traveling exhibition of eight sansei, or third generation Japanese American, artists. Briana Miller | For The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive, 2 Sep. 2022 Many of the performers in the ensemble, on the other hand, were sansei, and had not learned about Japanese-American incarceration or Japanese culture because their parents wanted them to grow up as American as possible, Kashiwagi said. NBC News, 6 Oct. 2017

Word History

Etymology

Japanese san third + sei generation

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sansei was in 1940

Dictionary Entries Near sansei

Cite this Entry

“Sansei.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sansei. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Definition revised
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