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• german
  german

  adjective

  having the same father and mother, as a full brother or sister (usually used in combination).
• German
  German

  adjective

  of or relating to Germany, its inhabitants, or their language.

german

¹ American  

[jur-muhn] / ˈdʒɜr mən /

adjective

1. having the same father and mother, as a full brother or sister (usually used in combination).

   a brother-german.

2. born of the brother or sister of one's father or mother, as a first cousin (usually used in combination).

   a cousin-german.

3. Archaic. germane.

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German ² American  

[jur-muhn] / ˈdʒɜr mən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Germany, its inhabitants, or their language.

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noun

• Germans
  plural

1. a native or inhabitant of Germany.

2. a descendant of a native of Germany.

3. 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.

4. Linguistics. any variety of West Germanic speech native to Germany, Austria, or Switzerland.

5. (usually lowercase) an elaborate social dance resembling a cotillion.

6. (lowercase) a dancing party featuring the german.

German ¹ British  

/ ˈdʒɜːmən /

noun

1. 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

2. a native, inhabitant, or citizen of Germany

3. a person whose native language is German

   Swiss Germans

   Volga Germans

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adjective

1. denoting, relating to, or using the German language

2. relating to, denoting, or characteristic of any German state or its people

german ² British  

/ ˈdʒɜːmən /

adjective

1. 1. having the same parents as oneself

      a brother-german

   2. having a parent that is a brother or sister of either of one's own parents

      cousin-german

2. a less common word for germane

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german ³ British  

/ ˈdʒɜːmən /

noun

1. a dance consisting of complicated figures and changes of partners

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• anti-German
  noun
• half-German
  adjective
• non-German
  adjective
• pre-German
  adjective
• pro-German
  adjective
• pseudo-German
  adjective
• quasi-German
  adjective
• un-German
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• Germans
  plural

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

See Examples For:

german German Germans

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

Admiral Russel, cousin german to the unfortunate lord of that name, passed frequently between England and Holland, and kept the communication open with all the great men of the Protestant party.

From The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.I., Part F. From Charles II. to James II. by David Hume

Meanwhile, German 10-year yields hit a 15-year high.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

"We're talking about one or two kilometres, and we're on the verge of achieving it," Yernaux told AFP, despite "sustained winds" blowing towards the German border.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

Alonso's German double-winning Bayer Leverkusen team of 2023-24 shared out the goals - with nobody netting more than 14 in the Bundesliga.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

Sentiment among German investors exceeded expectations again this month on a bumper earnings season, as the economy overcomes some of the shock of the war in Iran.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

“I told you to devote more time to yoga. No one listens,” she says as she searches high and low in her locker for her German textbook.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

Seven Italians, two Germans and two Spaniards were killed, along with two crew members, a spokesman for the transport ministry said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

The rearrangement allowed Shankly to recall Toshack, who had been left out of the initial match, and he and Keegan tormented the Germans in a 3-0 victory, Liverpool subsequently winning 3-2 on aggregate.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

And as one saying had it: “Rational Germans rely on planning, spiritual Russians on avos’.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

Germans do it only during international sporting contests.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

At first the Germans refused to sign the peace agreement.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman