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
  adjective
• non-Japanese
  adjective
• pro-Japanese
  adjective
• pseudo-Japanese
  adjective
• quasi-Japanese
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Japanese

First recorded in 1580–90; Japan + -ese

Example Sentences

The Japanese company isn’t the first foreign memory supplier to pursue a U.S. offering.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

Some came within 150 miles of the Japanese city of Sasebo, home to a core U.S. naval base, according to ship-tracking data provided by geospatial analysis firm ingeniSPACE and verified by The Wall Street Journal.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

The trailer shows the Duffys driving in a Toyota, and the Japanese automaker’s logo is prominently displayed in a close-up.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

In 2020, Nebraska hosted 13 Americans who had been exposed to the then-novel COVID-19 on a Japanese ship.

From Slate • May 14, 2026

Ho Chi Minh seized the opportunity to fill the power vacuum left by the Japanese defeat.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin