Russian

noun

Rus·​sian ˈrə-shən 

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

Russianness

ˈrə-shən-nəs 

noun

Examples of Russian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Notably, while Estonia and Latvia share an eastern border with Russia, Lithuania shares a western border with the Russian exclave Kaliningrad. —Sam Meredith, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2025

On their program is one work by a Czech composer, Antonín Dvořák’s String Quartet No. 11 in C Major, and another by a Russian, Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s String Quartet No. 3 in E-flat Major. —Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2025

McCabe handed Richard a revolver with a single bullet and made the kid play several rounds of Russian Roulette, all as his dad helplessly watched, with Paulie’s gun aimed his own head. —Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 13 Mar. 2025

Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov said that over 400 Ukrainian soldiers had been taken prisoner in the final offensive. —Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 12 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing Russian

• anti-Russian
• Great Russian
• non-Russian
• Russian blue
• Russian dressing
• Russian olive
• Russian roulette
• Russian sage
• Russian thistle
• Russian wolfhound
• White Russian

Rhymes for Russian

• kushan
• belorussian
• repercussion
• byelorussian
• concussion
• discussion
• percussion

Kids 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