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 Word Forms

• anti-Russian adjective
• half-Russian adjective
• non-Russian adjective
• pro-Russian adjective
• pseudo-Russian adjective
• semi-Russian adjective

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

It was the first time that had happened since the 2021 Russian Grand Prix - and that was as a result of engine problems.

Read more on BBC

A Russian attack hit Ukraine's energy infrastructure, killing four people and prompting power cuts in several regions, Ukrainian authorities said Saturday.

Read more on Barron's

But he failed to improve on his final run and he suffered his first Q1 elimination since the 2021 Russian Grand Prix.

Read more on BBC

On the surface, the Hungarian prime minister's trip was exactly what he went to Washington for: luxuriant praise and an exemption from sanctions on Russian oil, gas and nuclear supplies.

Read more on BBC

He said "for every Moscow strike on energy infrastructure - aimed at harming ordinary people before winter - there must be a sanctions response targeting all Russian energy, with no exceptions".

Read more on BBC