samurai
noun
sam·u·rai
ˈsa-mə-ˌrī 
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
Okakura was born in Yokohama in 1863 to a silk merchant family of samurai origins.
—
Waiyee Loh, JSTOR Daily, 2 July 2025
The game, since its premiere trailer almost a year ago, has been the subject of relentless criticism about its use of Yasuke, a black samurai pulled from history, as one of its two leads.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
In a 2014 interview with Esquire, Kobe explained that the symbol is inspired by a samurai sword.
—Kayla Grant, People.com, 20 June 2025
During the following Meiji Period, two major events occurred: production and possession of samurai swords were banned; and the Japanese government actively enhanced the Westernization of the country, including meat consumption.
—Akiko Katayama, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
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Waiyee Loh, JSTOR Daily, 2 July 2025
The game, since its premiere trailer almost a year ago, has been the subject of relentless criticism about its use of Yasuke, a black samurai pulled from history, as one of its two leads.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
In a 2014 interview with Esquire, Kobe explained that the symbol is inspired by a samurai sword.
—Kayla Grant, People.com, 20 June 2025
During the following Meiji Period, two major events occurred: production and possession of samurai swords were banned; and the Japanese government actively enhanced the Westernization of the country, including meat consumption.
—Akiko Katayama, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for samurai
Cite this Entry
“Samurai.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/samurai. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
samurai
noun
sam·u·rai
ˈsam-(y)ə-ˌrī
plural samurai
: a warrior serving a Japanese feudal lord and practicing a code of conduct which valued honor over life
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