Japanese

American  

[jap-uh-neez, -nees] / ˌdʒæp əˈniz, -ˈnis /

adjective

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

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noun

Japanese plural

1. Often Offensive. a native or inhabitant of Japan or a person of Japanese descent.

2. the language of Japan. Japn., Japn

Japanese British  

/ ˌdʒæpəˈniːz /

adjective

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

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Japan or a descendant of one

2. the official language of Japan: the native language of approximately 100 million people: considered by some scholars to be part of the Altaic family of languages

Sensitive Note

In the past, the word Japanese has been used as a noun to describe a person or people (the store owner is a Japanese ). This usage is dated and often considered offensive today.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• anti-Japanese
  adjective
• non-Japanese
  adjective
• pro-Japanese
  adjective
• pseudo-Japanese
  adjective
• quasi-Japanese
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• Japanese
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Japanese

First recorded in 1580–90; Japan + -ese

Example Sentences

Just a few weeks ago, a horse died minutes after eating a plant in the park that is poisonous to horses, a Japanese yew.

From Salon • Jun. 20, 2026

A recent social media video shows Portuguese fans similarly collecting rubbish from the stands with large plastic bags, with many social media users crediting the Japanese with starting this trend.

From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026

The yen strengthened against other G-10 and Asian currencies amid risks of potential FX intervention by Japanese authorities.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026

English, Japanese, Swiss, Iranians, Paraguayans, Bosnians, Belgians and others are flocking to the city of about 102,000, where eight matches are being played at SoFi Stadium.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2026

There are rumors of a Japanese invasion, but many people feel safe with all the additional fortifications.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly