Russian
Americanadjective
noun
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Russians
plural
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a native or inhabitant of Russia.
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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.
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the Slavic language of this people, written in the Cyrillic alphabet: the official language of Russia or the Russian Federation. Russ, Russ.
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Informal. Russian dressing.
noun
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the official language of Russia: an Indo-European language belonging to the East Slavonic branch
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the official language of the former Soviet Union
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a native or inhabitant of Russia
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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anti-Russianadjective
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half-Russianadjective
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non-Russianadjective
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pro-Russianadjective
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pseudo-Russianadjective
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semi-Russianadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of Russian
First recorded in 1530–40; from Medieval Latin Russiānus, derivative of Russia, Latinization of Old East Slavic Rusĭ; see origin at Russ, Russia, -an
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.
See Examples For:
Guaranteed to finish top of her group on her tournament debut following impressive victories over Svitolina and Sabalenka, Russian Andreeva finished the group stage with a perfect record by beating compatriot Diana Shnaider 6-2 6-1.
From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2026
President Trump will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese Leader Xi Jinping in Shenzhen next week for a three-way summit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 2026
Earlier, the Ukrainian leader said that the military was facing more "systematic" restrictions to Starlink's military-grade satellite service, Starshield, meaning Kyiv was struggling to intercept Russian jet-powered drones.
From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2026
Army officer is identified after an arrest in the U.K. for alleged Russian spying.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2026
The exact details of Oleg Penkovsky’s arrest are still hidden away in classified Russian files.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
For Bogdanovich, “the Russians invaded Czechoslovakia” does not warrant the attention of “Buster Keaton died” or “I met Orson Welles today!”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2026
With his connections around the city and Irwin’s technical know-how, Gary suggests they start an environmental-consulting business, guiding the Russians through the regulatory thickets of their newfound home.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2026
"If Europe could identify one person to speak on their behalf, that would be a bigger achievement than getting the Russians to include them in the negotiations," he said.
From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2026
The new owners down there, Gary insists, are Russians, not mobbed-up Italians, and the shifting power structure could finally give their Jewish family an opening to earn extra dough.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2026
“It may be the Russians get here first. The peace can’t last.”
From "Prisoner B-3087" by Alan Gratz
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
