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.
The German industrial conglomerate said Monday that production at the site in Terre Haute, Indiana, will be gradually wound down by March 31 next year with the loss of around 230 jobs.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
Michael Fraede is co-founder of German firm Robotextile, which makes gripper devices that enable robots to deftly pick up pieces of fabric.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
Before the fall of Communism and German unification, West Germany had a saying: “Bonn ist nicht Weimar.”
From Salon • May 18, 2026
Her favorite is the fallen fruit cake, but the bakery also sells a flourless chocolate almond cake and German chocolate cake.
From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026
The hardest thing to get used to was the German uniform everywhere, German trucks and tanks in the street, German spoken in the shops.
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.
