Russian

American  

[ruhsh-uhn] / ˈrʌʃ ən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Russia, its people, or their language.

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Russia.

2. a member of a Slavic people, the dominant ethnic group in the Russian Federation, whose historical homeland lies along the upper Volga and Oka rivers and adjacent areas.

3. the Slavic language of this people, written in the Cyrillic alphabet: the official language of Russia or the Russian Federation. Russ, Russ.

4. Informal. Russian dressing.

Russian British  

/ ˈrʌʃən /

noun

1. the official language of Russia: an Indo-European language belonging to the East Slavonic branch

2. the official language of the former Soviet Union

3. a native or inhabitant of Russia

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Russia, its people, or their language

Other Word Forms

• anti-Russian adjective
• half-Russian adjective
• non-Russian adjective
• pro-Russian adjective
• pseudo-Russian adjective
• semi-Russian adjective

Etymology

Origin of Russian

First recorded in 1530–40; from Medieval Latin Russiānus, derivative of Russia, Latinization of Old East Slavic Rusĭ; Russ, Russia, -an

Example Sentences

To promote international peace, he knocked down bureaucratic hurdles and cooled cultural clashes to herd a team of Russian, Chinese and American climbers to the summit of Everest in 1990.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Throughout the 2010s, American astronauts reached the space station by hitching rides on Russian Soyuz rockets, until a burgeoning private-sector spaceflight industry stepped in.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

But he said he would not be calling Vladimir Putin, a close partner of Orbán, even though he would speak to him if the Russian leader rang.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Pavilion Global sees no way out of the shortage without Russian supply.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

The two friends attempted to kiss each other on the cheek in the Russian tradition.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin