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

plural

Japanese

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

• anti-Japanese adjectiveanti-Japanese
• non-Japanese adjectivenon-Japanese
• pro-Japanese adjectivepro-Japanese
• pseudo-Japanese adjectivepseudo-Japanese
• quasi-Japanese adjective

Etymology

Origin of Japanese

First recorded in 1580–90; Japan + -ese

Example Sentences

He made a big steak sandwich, and I made a sort of a deep-fried chicken with rice and Japanese things.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026

"History suggests not all will survive," she said, referring to past cycles, with the rise of Japanese car manufacturers in the 90s and South Korean brands more recently.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

So began Gitter’s lifelong obsession with collecting Japanese art and his eventual passion for self-taught artists from the American South.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

The United States is the only country to have used nuclear weapons in combat, obliterating the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II, killing some 214,000 people.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

After the earthquake, children and teachers at the Okawa Elementary School streamed out the doors wearing plastic safety helmets, standard equipment at any Japanese school.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland