Nippon

American

[nee-pawn, ni-pon, nip-on] / niˈpɔn, nɪˈpɒn, ˈnɪp ɒn /

noun

a Japanese name of Japan.

Nippon British

/ ˈnɪpɒn /

noun

transliteration of a Japanese name for Japan

"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

Etymology

Origin of Nippon

< Japanese, earlier nit-pon < Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese rì sun + běn origin

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.

The Apollo-Nippon Sheet transaction is expected to be completed by around March next year, subject to approval by Nippon Sheet shareholders and customary closing conditions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

Apollo said that Nippon Sheet’s principal lenders would effectively swap a portion of their outstanding loans for equity to shore up its balance sheet.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

Fund managers highlighted Montana Aerospace, Pason Systems, and Japan’s Nippon TV as international value investment opportunities.

From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026

Hideki Kuriyama managed Ohtani on the Nippon Ham Fighters, the team that nurtured Ohtani’s ambition of pitching and hitting at an elite level.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026

“I’ve seen archers in Nippon do something similar.”

From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023