jean

noun

ˈjēn 

plural jeans

1

: a durable twilled cotton cloth used especially for sportswear and work clothes

2

usually jeans

ˈjēnz 

: pants usually made of denim or jean

… strolling with royal puppy Lupo through Kensington Gardens near the couple's two-bedroom cottage in a pair of jeans and rain boots.

—Alicia Dennis et al.

Millions of people today buy designer jeans for double the price of equally durable generic jeans …

—Jared Diamond

see also blue jeans, mom jeans

Examples of jean in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Kate kept it casual for a visit to the Natural History Museum in June 2021, opting for a peach Chloe Blazer, a white top and jeans. — Zoe Kaplan, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026

The capsule will include the Extra Baggy Jean (three washes) and the Low-Rise Loose Jean (three washes), with all six jeans including 1996 detailing and Hailey’s signature. — Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 15 July 2026

What began as a jean engineered for ranch work and rodeo competition has since become a versatile staple, worn by everyone from working cowboys to everyday consumers. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 14 July 2026

There’s a reason why Lenny Kravitz wears jeans and leather pants while working out. — Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 14 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

short for jean fustian, from Middle English Gene Genoa, Italy + fustian

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing jean

• jean shorts

Rhymes for jean

• bean
• bein
• bien
• bouin
• clean
• deen
• diene
• gene
• glean
• keen
• lien
• mean

Kids Definition

jean

noun

ˈjēn 

1

: a heavy cotton cloth used especially for sportswear and work clothes

2

plural : pants made of jean, denim, or corduroy

Etymology

a shortened form of earlier jean fustian, literally "a fustian (heavy cotton cloth) from Genoa," from Middle English Gene "Genoa, Italy"