Russian

[ ruhsh-uhn ]

adjective

1. of or relating to Russia, its people, or their language.

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Russia.
2. a member of a Slavic people, the dominant ethnic group in the Russian Federation, whose historical homeland lies along the upper Volga and Oka rivers and adjacent areas.
3. the Slavic language of this people, written in the Cyrillic alphabet: the official language of Russia or the Russian Federation. : Russ, Russ.
4. Informal. Russian dressing.

Russian

/ ˈrʌʃən /

noun

1. the official language of Russia: an Indo-European language belonging to the East Slavonic branch
2. the official language of the former Soviet Union
3. a native or inhabitant of Russia

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Russia, its people, or their language

Other Words From

• anti-Russian adjective noun
• half-Russian adjective
• non-Russian adjective noun
• pro-Russian adjective noun
• pseudo-Russian adjective noun
• semi-Russian adjective noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Russian¹

First recorded in 1530–40; from Medieval Latin Russiānus, derivative of Russia, Latinization of Old East Slavic Rusĭ; Russ, Russia, -an

Example Sentences

Then came Bess Myerson, a daughter of Russian-Jewish immigrants who was raised in the Sholem Aleichem Houses in the Bronx.

From The Daily Beast

This is not the first time the director has fallen for Russian propaganda.

From The Daily Beast

What it endangers is a narrow conception of Russian power, understood through the eyes of its dictatorial leader.

From The Daily Beast

Unlike the Soviet Union at a certain period in history, the Russian economy does not hold a candle to that of the United States.

From The Daily Beast

His first language was Russian, then he learned Swedish, but chooses to perform in monosyllabic broken English.

From The Daily Beast

The Russian general Bauer made her his mistress, after which she lived a short time with prince Mentschicoff.

From Project Gutenberg

Accordingly, when in 1812 he planned his Russian campaign, he entrusted Ney with the command of the third corps.

From Project Gutenberg

It is perhaps somewhat superfluous to say that the Russian Government at once adopted these balloons for war purposes.

From Project Gutenberg

An imperial ukase ordered that all the serfs in certain of the Russian states, between the ages of 30 and 35, should be enrolled.

From Project Gutenberg

This original Russian edition was followed almost immediately by a German translation, published in Leipzig by the same firm.

From Project Gutenberg