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
Examples of Russian in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Most of the Russian Black Sea Fleet is no longer in Crimea, because Ukraine has restored control over the western Black Sea region.
—
Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 20 May 2024
After Russia withdrew from an agreement allowing Ukraine to resume some export shipments through the sea, Ukraine’s military began a campaign to drive out the Russian Navy.
—Andrés R. Martínez, New York Times, 17 May 2024
In 2019, the Russian had 13 goals and six assists in 24 playoff games for the Guelph Storm.
—Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 15 May 2024
Putin had had the Russian Constitution changed to enable him to rule for life.
Recall that Putin was inaugurated after a sham election in March in which no genuine alternative candidate was allowed to run.
—Trudy Rubin, Twin Cities, 15 May 2024
Since the 1990s, Reif and his family have been searching for Grünbaum’s collection—more than 400 pieces of art, including Egon Schiele’s Russian War Prisoner, a drawing worth $1.25 million.
—Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 14 May 2024
The Ukrainian Tochka-U missile that struck the building was among several that Ukraine launched overnight, the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
—Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 12 May 2024
The only major exception is over the Russian Far East, which Tsarist Russia took from the Manchu Qing Empire in 1860.
—Steve Tsang, TIME, 11 May 2024
Syria, Hezbollah, Ethiopia, the Russian Federation, Iraq and Venezuela have access to the drone, according to TRADOC.
—Beth Bailey, Fox News, 11 May 2024
Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 20 May 2024
After Russia withdrew from an agreement allowing Ukraine to resume some export shipments through the sea, Ukraine’s military began a campaign to drive out the Russian Navy.
—Andrés R. Martínez, New York Times, 17 May 2024
In 2019, the Russian had 13 goals and six assists in 24 playoff games for the Guelph Storm.
—Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 15 May 2024
Putin had had the Russian Constitution changed to enable him to rule for life.
Recall that Putin was inaugurated after a sham election in March in which no genuine alternative candidate was allowed to run.
—Trudy Rubin, Twin Cities, 15 May 2024
Since the 1990s, Reif and his family have been searching for Grünbaum’s collection—more than 400 pieces of art, including Egon Schiele’s Russian War Prisoner, a drawing worth $1.25 million.
—Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 14 May 2024
The Ukrainian Tochka-U missile that struck the building was among several that Ukraine launched overnight, the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
—Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 12 May 2024
The only major exception is over the Russian Far East, which Tsarist Russia took from the Manchu Qing Empire in 1860.
—Steve Tsang, TIME, 11 May 2024
Syria, Hezbollah, Ethiopia, the Russian Federation, Iraq and Venezuela have access to the drone, according to TRADOC.
—Beth Bailey, Fox News, 11 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Russian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near Russian
Cite this Entry
“Russian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Russian. Accessed 23 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share