Japanese

American  

[jap-uh-neez, -nees] / ˌdʒæp əˈniz, -ˈnis /

adjective

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

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noun

• Japanese
  plural

1. Often Offensive. a native or inhabitant of Japan or a person of Japanese descent.

2. the language of Japan. Japn., Japn

Japanese British  

/ ˌdʒæpəˈniːz /

adjective

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

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Japan or a descendant of one

2. the official language of Japan: the native language of approximately 100 million people: considered by some scholars to be part of the Altaic family of languages

Sensitive Note

In the past, the word Japanese has been used as a noun to describe a person or people (the store owner is a Japanese ). This usage is dated and often considered offensive today.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• anti-Japanese
  adjective
• non-Japanese
  adjective
• pro-Japanese
  adjective
• pseudo-Japanese
  adjective
• quasi-Japanese
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• Japanese
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of Japanese

First recorded in 1580–90; Japan + -ese

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Japanese

More than 160 flights have been cancelled across four Japanese airlines.

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

Andrzej Szczepaniak, senior European economist at Japanese investment bank Nomura, told clients in a note that he expects Moody’s to downgrade France’s rating to A1 with a stable outcome.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026

Still, Japanese fiscal and monetary drivers are critical for further gains in the yen, he added.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

As inflation weighs on Japanese households, huge arcades on the outskirts of major cities are installing claw machines filled with eggs, rice, laundry detergent and other necessities.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026

General MacArthur and his troops land on the shore of Leyte Island on October 20, ready to fight alongside the Filipinos to defeat the Japanese.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

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