mandarin
noun
(in the Chinese Empire) a member of any of the nine ranks of public officials, each distinguished by a particular kind of button worn on the cap.
mandarins
-
pluralof mandarin.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Normally, top mandarins are plucked from the British civil service for the Washington post.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 2026
According to an AFP journalist, mandarins in Ashgabat cost $1.90, apples more than $2 and a pack of cigarettes has risen to $3 -- pretty much double what they were.
From Barron's ● Mar. 10, 2026
Orange is being mixed with mango, mandarins and clementine juice.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2025
Still, his refusal to admit error, or to abandon his problematic colleague, came to symbolize for many the arrogance of the new mandarins of the biological sciences.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2025
Ambitious mandarins and gold-bedizened Russian generals exchanged salutes and bows in sign of mutual respect.
From Empires and Emperors of Russia, China, Korea, and Japan Notes and Recollections by Monsignor Count Vay de Vaya and Luskod by P?ter Vay
