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

At a car showroom at the market, owner Noor Ali was surrounded by a dozen colourful vehicles built with imported Japanese parts.

From Barron's • Jul. 5, 2026

He will face Japanese qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki next after the world number 150 stunned rising Spanish star Rafael Jodar.

From BBC • Jul. 3, 2026

The one-woman show arrives in time for the United States’ 250th anniversary on Saturday, documenting Nakajima’s search for the American dream as a first-generation Japanese American woman.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 3, 2026

Micron eventually acquired Elpida in 2013 after the Japanese company filed for bankruptcy, giving it access to technology that, at the time, was “superior to Micron’s technology,” Wedbush analyst Matt Bryson told MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 3, 2026

When she arrived, she served glasses of brandy and cordial to the Japanese soldiers and gave them Christmas gifts.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly