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

Derived Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of Russian

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

Example Sentences

Appeared in the December 31, 2025, print edition as 'Russian Flag Tangles U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 31, 2025

‘We love each other just about as much as two people can love each other and we’re still talking all the time,’ said ‘Russian Doll’ star Natasha Lyonne.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 18, 2024

"We're all used to this label 'Russian art', but there is so much more beneath it."

From Reuters • Feb. 23, 2023

“You always hear, ‘Russian machine never breaks,’ ” McMichael said Tuesday.

From Washington Post • Apr. 26, 2022

Lord Elgin's secretary was Mr. Oliphant, the talented author of the 'Russian Shores of the Black Sea,' who had also yielded to the fascinations of this northern capital.

From The Englishwoman in America by Bird, Isabella L. (Isabella Lucy)