Japanese

American  

[jap-uh-neez, -nees] / ˌdʒæp əˈniz, -ˈnis /

adjective

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

---

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

---

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

See Examples For:

Japanese

I’m half Japanese and critical of supermarket sushi.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

That is potentially a fraught win for the Japanese company and a boon for Nike’s beleaguered stock price.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Its relative, Andrias japonicus, the Japanese giant salamander, still survives in rivers throughout the Ajimu region and elsewhere in Japan.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026

The fund’s investment in Japanese bonds in recent years has fallen to around $515 billion from roughly $770 billion.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

It is too dangerous to continue the planned journey to Burma—there is concern that the Japanese might bomb the Grant—so the captain changes course for Australia, with plans to dock in Manila along the way.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly