Russian
Americanadjective
noun
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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
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.
Angela Merkel, the German chancellor who oversaw its construction, rejected the criticism, arguing that Russian gas was cheap and helped fuel German growth.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026
In recent years, a United Nations peacekeeping mission, Rwandan troops and Russian mercenaries from the notorious Wagner group have helped to improve the Central African Republic's security situation.
From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026
The UK government has committed to banning imports of diesel and jet fuel made from Russian oil by 1 January 2027.
From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026
Many felt Ukraine was ungrateful to Poland, which opened its borders to millions of Ukrainians fleeing the full-scale Russian invasion, and continues to provide shelter to almost a million refugees.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
Janet Chisholm wore a Russian fur hat and carried a shopping bag, blending in with the crowd on the sidewalks of Arbat Street in central Moscow.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
