Russian

American  

[ruhsh-uhn] / ˈrʌʃ ən /

adjective

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

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noun

• Russians
  plural

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

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• Russians
  plural

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

See Examples For:

Russian Russians

In 2024, Shor teamed up with Promsvyazbank, a Russian state-owned bank that focuses on the defense sector, to launch A7.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

Russian law allows companies to obscure ownership data to avoid foreign sanctions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

We saw it, and realised it had a Russian country code.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

Over a period of a day, the BBC was able to locate him in two suburban areas on the outskirts of the Russian capital, Moscow.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

There the little rowboats would sit like Russian nesting dolls, until morning came and it was time to fish once more.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

With its warm climate, long beaches and developed tourist infrastructure it is a popular holiday destination for Russians, in particular since sanctions have curtailed international travel for many.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

Generations of Russians spent their holidays on the peninsula during the Soviet era, many of whom regard Crimea as an integral part of their country.

From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026

This year, the VKontakte social network -- now controlled by the state and known as VK -- has been pushing government-backed messenger Max, urging Russians to switch from Telegram and WhatsApp.

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

Two Russians have been found guilty of terrorism and spying by a court in Angola's capital, Luanda.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

Maybe the Americans should set their sights on beating the Russians to the moon, Kennedy suggested.

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