german
adjective
having the same father and mother, as a full brother or sister (usually used in combination).
german
1 American
[jur-muhn]
/ ˈdʒɜr mən /
adjective
-
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.
German
2
American
[jur-muhn]
/ ˈdʒɜr mən /
adjective
noun
-
Germans
plural
-
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.
German
1
British
/ ˈdʒɜːmən /
noun
-
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
adjective
-
denoting, relating to, or using the German language
-
relating to, denoting, or characteristic of any German state or its people
german
2
British
/ ˈdʒɜːmən /
adjective
-
-
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
german
3
British
/ ˈdʒɜːmən /
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
anti-Germannoun
-
half-Germanadjective
-
non-Germanadjective
-
pre-Germanadjective
-
pro-Germanadjective
-
pseudo-Germanadjective
-
quasi-Germanadjective
-
un-Germanadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of german1
1250–1300; Middle English germain < Old French < Latin germānus, derivative of germen; see germ
Origin of German2
1520–30; < Latin Germānus German; cognate with Greek Germanoí (plural)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The Bidens had already said that Champ and Major, their two german shepherds, will be moving into the White House.
From Slate ● Nov. 29, 2020
She resembles a german shepherd but a little less heavy-set, and a lot more bouncy.
From The Guardian ● May 29, 2015
But there were many on Monday who dissented out of loyalty to the german shepherd or the cocker spaniel, and the measure barely passed.
From Time ● Feb. 24, 2015
Just imagine the same movie, but not with a US soldier in Iraq, but a german soldier in WW2.
From New York Times ● Feb. 23, 2015
The phrase would be more german to the matter, if we could carry cannon by our sides.
From Familiar Quotations A Collection of Passages, Phrases, and Proverbs Traced to Their Sources in Ancient and Modern Literature by John Bartlett
German courts moved toward that principle last year in a case brought by Peruvian farmer Saul Luciano Lliuya against energy company RWE.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
The German luxury sports car maker on Wednesday outlined a plan to accelerate profitability over the coming years, which included expanding the individualization options on its cars.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Three Turks and a German are also sought.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
His one season in the German Bundesliga feels like the kind of loan Brighton would have done had they signed him directly.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
I saw at once it was the same German shepherd that had been tormenting Marlene through the gate.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
The nascent Polish state found itself embroiled in localized wars with Germans, Lithuanians and Ukrainians alongside a grander struggle against the Soviets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Graham finds his own principles tested when he begins a love affair with the Austrian countess whose estate is hosting the academy; her late husband, he learns, fought for the Germans.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
Germans pay some of the highest energy costs in Europe.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
"The Germans are further ahead with this than we are in Denmark. They sometimes retrieve explosives from the wrecks and neutralize them, but doing so is very costly," she notes.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026
By early June, the Germans were within forty miles of Paris, close enough to bombard the French capital with the long-range guns the Allies called Big Berthas.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
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.
