Korean

[kuh-ree-uh n, kaw-, koh-]

adjective

of or relating to Korea, its inhabitants, or their language.

noun

a native or inhabitant of South Korea or North Korea.
the language of South Korea or North Korea.

Origin of Korean

First recorded in 1605–15; Kore(a) + -an

Related formspro-Ko·re·an, adjective, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for korean

byzantine, Korean, Asian, Chinese, Japanese

Examples from the Web for korean

Contemporary Examples of korean

In 1951, Harry Truman fired Gen. Douglas MacArthur during the Korean War.
We Need Our Police to Be Better Than This
Nick Gillespie
December 31, 2014
But South Koreans have a troubled history with American intervention in Korean markets.
Propaganda, Protest, and Poisonous Vipers: The Cinema War in Korea
Rich Goldstein
December 30, 2014
The Second Republic was also considered the another golden age for Korean Cinema.
Propaganda, Protest, and Poisonous Vipers: The Cinema War in Korea
Rich Goldstein
December 30, 2014
Ronald Reagan approved the agreement and the USTR reviewed Korean practices through the end of his term.
Propaganda, Protest, and Poisonous Vipers: The Cinema War in Korea
Rich Goldstein
December 30, 2014
When Yoo and Lee were arrested for the bombing and the snakes, Korean film employees staged protests demanding their release.
Propaganda, Protest, and Poisonous Vipers: The Cinema War in Korea
Rich Goldstein
December 30, 2014

Historical Examples of korean

After this excursion, we ended the day by attending the Korean Theatre.
Travels in the Far East
Ellen Mary Hayes Peck
Have you seen Korean kiddies with flags painted on their stomachs?
Flash-lights from the Seven Seas
William L. Stidger
She stretched a hand to gesture me to be seated, and I tried Korean on her.
Valley of the Croen
Lee Tarbell
Stone and brick replaced the mud walls of the Korean dwellings.
Revolution and Other Essays
Jack London
The Korean is the perfect type of inefficiency—of utter worthlessness.
Revolution and Other Essays
Jack London

British Dictionary definitions for korean

Korean

adjective

of or relating to Korea, its people, or their language

noun

a native or inhabitant of Korea
the official language of North and South Korea, considered by some scholars to be part of the Altaic family of languages

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012