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

• 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

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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

Sensitivity

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

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Etymology

Origin of Japanese

First recorded in 1580–90; Japan + -ese

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Japanese

The Japanese entertainment and electronics company said Thursday that net profit climbed 44% from a year earlier to 449.60 billion yen, equivalent to $2.84 billion, for the three months ended September.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

AI bellwethers like Korean and Japanese semiconductor plays recoiled as traders rotated into consumer and internet plays listed in Hong Kong and China.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026

Renault's most recent win had been secured by Alonso - at the 2008 Japanese Grand Prix.

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026

Now, in a study published in Nature Astronomy, a team of Japanese scientists has confirmed all five nucleobases are present in this pristine asteroid material.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026

When Lulu’s brother, Guillermo “Willy” Reyes, was captured by the Japanese, she vowed to find him.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

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