Nikkei

American  

[nee-key] / ˈni keɪ /

noun

1. an index showing the average closing prices of 225 stocks on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

2. an American of Japanese descent.

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Etymology

Origin of Nikkei

Borrowed into English from Japanese around 1980–85

Example Sentences

—Stock markets across Asia fell, with Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average losing 1.0%, South Korea’s Kospi dropping 1.2% and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 benchmark index shedding 0.5%.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

The Nikkei 225 index in Japan gained by 2.6% while South Korea's Kospi exchange jumped by more than 3%.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

—Asian equities were mixed as Japan’s Nikkei 225 index was flat, and China’s benchmark Shanghai Composite climbed 0.3%.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

Japan's Nikkei 225 gained by 4.5% while South Korea's Kospi exchange jumped by 5.5%.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

So much more had happened, to other people, not just her, her family, and the Nikkei imprisoned.

From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata