samurai

noun

sam·​u·​rai ˈsa-mə-ˌrī How to pronounce samurai (audio)
ˈsam-yə-
plural samurai
1
: a military retainer of a Japanese daimyo practicing the code of conduct of Bushido
2
: the warrior aristocracy of Japan

Examples of samurai in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The movie features Takashi Shimura, best known as the lead samurai in Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, in a singing part. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Oct. 2024 Fans have lobbed it at the inclusion of a Black samurai in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Angela Watercutter, WIRED, 4 Oct. 2024 Mariko starts out the series in limbo, the daughter of a disgraced samurai who wants to honor her family’s memory by ritual suicide but is denied a redemptive death by her bitter husband, Buntaro (Shinnosuke Abe), to whom she’s bound by societal structure. Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2024 But this is the year for Shōgun, and Anna Sawai as Lady Toda Mariko, the daughter of a disgraced samurai, was a standout in a series bombarded with excellence. Marc Berman, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for samurai 

Word History

Etymology

Japanese

First Known Use

1727, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of samurai was in 1727

Dictionary Entries Near samurai

Cite this Entry

“Samurai.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/samurai. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

samurai

noun
sam·​u·​rai ˈsam-(y)ə-ˌrī How to pronounce samurai (audio)
plural samurai
: a warrior serving a Japanese feudal lord and practicing a code of conduct which valued honor over life

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