1
a
: a native or inhabitant of Germany
b
: a person of German descent
c
: one whose native language is German and who is a native of a country other than Germany
2
a
: the Germanic language spoken mainly in Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland
b
: the literary and official language of Germany
3
: a member of any of the Germanic peoples inhabiting western Europe in Roman times
4
often not capitalized
a
: a dance consisting of intricate figures that are improvised and intermingled with waltzes
b
chiefly Midland US
: a dancing party
specifically
: one at which the german is danced
: of, relating to, or characteristic of Germany, the Germans, or German
ger·man
ˈjər-mən 
: having the same parents or the same grandparents on either the maternal or paternal side
—usually used after the noun which it modifies and joined to it by a hyphen
brother-german
cousin-german
obsolete
: a near relative
Examples of German in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
James Powel, USA Today, 9 May 2025
He was followed by German Pope Benedict XVI (2005–2013) and then Pope Francis (2013–2025) from Argentina.
—Hannah Parry
amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025
It was made with the support of the Italian Ministry of Culture, Regione Veneto, the German Federal Film Board, Germany’s Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media and Eurimages programs.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 8 May 2025
Veteran right-hander German Marquez’s stats are ugly; there’s no avoiding that reality.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for German
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Noun
The fighting in Europe stopped when the Chief of Staff of the German Armed Forces High Command, Alfred Jodl, surrendered at General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Allied headquarters in Reims on May 7, 1945.
—James Powel, USA Today, 9 May 2025
He was followed by German Pope Benedict XVI (2005–2013) and then Pope Francis (2013–2025) from Argentina.
—Hannah Parry
amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025
It was made with the support of the Italian Ministry of Culture, Regione Veneto, the German Federal Film Board, Germany’s Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media and Eurimages programs.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 8 May 2025
Veteran right-hander German Marquez’s stats are ugly; there’s no avoiding that reality.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for German
Cite this Entry
“German.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/German. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
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