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

As Japanese rates rise, debtor nations will feel pressure to offer higher rates to keep Japanese investors buying their bonds.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Japanese superstar made the announcement just hours before she was due to meet Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis on centre court in Melbourne.

From Barron's

“When Japanese yields went up, they took the rest of the world’s yields with them.”

From MarketWatch

“I never expected to get this far this quickly,” he said in an interview, now speaking fluent Japanese.

From The Wall Street Journal

Two weeks after its inauguration, two Japanese warships were the first vessels to dock at the base.

From Barron's