Japanese

noun

Jap·​a·​nese ˌja-pə-ˈnēz 

-ˈnēs

plural Japanese

1

a

: a native or inhabitant of Japan

b

: a person of Japanese descent

2

: the language of the Japanese

Japanese adjective

Examples of Japanese in a Sentence

the customs of the Japanese

He is learning to speak Japanese.

Recent Examples on the Web

North raps in Japanese on the song inspired by Where the Wild Things Are. —Hannah Sacks, People.com, 12 May 2025

His work resides in major museum collections across the globe including the Smithsonian Institution, National Japanese Collection, and Los Angeles County Museum of Art. —Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 9 May 2025

Joining Lorde for the North American shows on various dates are Blood Orange, Japanese House, Chanel Beads and Empress Of, while Jim-E Stack and Oklou will join some European shows. —Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 9 May 2025

The musician will bring her upcoming fourth studio album Virgin, out June 27, to arenas across North America this fall with special guests Japanese House, Blood Orange, Chanel Beads, and Empress Of. —Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 8 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing Japanese

• anti-Japanese
• Japanese andromeda
• Japanese beetle
• Japanese cedar
• Japanese eggplant
• Japanese giant hornet
• Japanese iris
• Japanese lacquer
• Japanese maple
• Japanese millet
• Japanese plum
• Japanese pumpkin
• Japanese quail
• Japanese quince
• Japanese spurge
• non-Japanese
• the Japanese

Rhymes for Japanese

• abcs
• absentees
• addressees
• adoptees
• allottees
• amputees
• antifreeze
• appellees
• appointees
• arrestees
• artistes
• assamese

Kids Definition

Japanese

noun

Jap·​a·​nese ˌjap-ə-ˈnēz 

-ˈnēs

plural Japanese

1

a

: a person born or living in Japan

b

: a person of Japanese ancestry

2

: the language of the Japanese

Japanese adjective