Japanese

[ jap-uh-neez, -nees ]

/ ˌdʒæp əˈniz, -ˈnis /

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adjective

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

noun, plural Jap·a·nese.

Often Offensive. a native or inhabitant of Japan or a person of Japanese descent. See Usage note at the current entry.

the language of Japan. Abbreviation: Japn., Japn

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of Japanese

First recorded in 1580–90; Japan + -ese

usage note for Japanese

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 WORDS FROM Japanese

an·ti-Jap·a·nese, adjective, noun, plural an·ti-Jap·a·nese.non-Jap·an·ese, adjective, noun, plural non-Jap·an·ese.pro-Jap·a·nese, adjective, noun, plural pro-Jap·a·nese.pseu·do-Jap·a·nese, adjective, noun, plural pseu·do-Jap·a·nese.

qua·si-Jap·a·nese, adjective

Words nearby Japanese

Jap, japan, Japan cedar, Japan clover, Japan Current, Japanese, Japanese Americans, internment of, Japanese andromeda, Japanese anemone, Japanese arborvitae, Japanese archipelago

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Japanese in a sentence

But I think Steve Austin has to team up with a Japanese holdout to stop a nuclear bomb from going off or something.
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Wrapees was the term marines used for the Japanese because they had wrapping round their legs.
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Finally free of Japanese interference, Korea elected its first autonomous government in almost half a century.
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Indeed, the Japanese-owned corporation has set a horrible precedent.
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Branch grew up in Queens, NY, the daughter of an African American man and a Japanese woman.
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This vessel, loaded with supplies, went ashore and was lost; and one hundred and twenty Japanese and three Dutchmen were drowned.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
Undesirable inhabitants of the country are being sent away, especially the Japanese, who are more dangerous than the Chinese.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
Among the Japanese who are in the islands there are more than one thousand five hundred Christians.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
I think that there has been neglect and laxity in the matter of not driving out the Japanese.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
Likewise a large part of the Japanese have been expelled, so that for a long time there have not been so few of them here as now.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various

British Dictionary definitions for Japanese

Japanese

/ (ˌdʒæpəˈniːz) /

adjective

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

noun

plural -nese a native or inhabitant of Japan or a descendant of one

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012