having the same father and mother, as a full brother or sister (usually used in combination).
a brother-german.
born of the brother or sister of one's father or mother, as a first cousin (usually used in combination).
a cousin-german.
Archaic. germane.
a native or inhabitant of Germany.
a descendant of a native of Germany.
Also called High German. an Indo-European language that is based on a High German dialect, is official in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, and is also widely used as an international language for scholarship and science. G, G.
Linguistics. any variety of West Germanic speech native to Germany, Austria, or Switzerland.
(usually lowercase) an elaborate social dance resembling a cotillion.
(lowercase) a dancing party featuring the german.
the official language of Germany and Austria and one of the official languages of Switzerland; the native language of approximately 100 million people. It is an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch, closely related to English and Dutch. There is considerable diversity of dialects; modern standard German is a development of Old High German, influenced by Martin Luther's translation of the Bible See also High German Low German
a native, inhabitant, or citizen of Germany
a person whose native language is German
Swiss Germans
Volga Germans
denoting, relating to, or using the German language
relating to, denoting, or characteristic of any German state or its people
having the same parents as oneself
a brother-german
having a parent that is a brother or sister of either of one's own parents
cousin-german
a less common word for germane
1250–1300; Middle English germain < Old French < Latin germānus, derivative of germen; see germ
1520–30; < Latin Germānus German; cognate with Greek Germanoí (plural)
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
German and French final inflation data for June are due Friday, and Italy will announce industrial production data for May too.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 3, 2026
Small companies that form the backbone of the German economy are struggling with the shift to carbon-neutral production, which adds extra costs when they are already battling high power prices and a broader slowdown.
From Barron's • Jul. 2, 2026
The smell of sweat permeated the air as she ripped through several of her hits — including collaborations with Reysha Rami and German producer MCR-T.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2026
Manager Fynn-Willem Lohe told AFP that his site's power is supplied by grids that are sometimes "80 or 100 years old", another major weak point in the German economy.
From Barron's • Jul. 2, 2026
Every Sunday Betsie would scour the papers, British, French, and German as well as our own, since the radio brought in stations from all over Europe, and plan the week’s program of concerts and recitals.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
