Ukrainian

American  

[yoo-krey-nee-uhn, -krahy-] / yuˈkreɪ ni ən, -ˈkraɪ- /

adjective

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

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Ukraine.

2. a Slavic language spoken in Ukraine, closely related to Russian.

Ukrainian British  

/ juːˈkreɪnɪən /

adjective

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

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noun

1. the official language of Ukraine: an East Slavonic language closely related to Russian

2. a native or inhabitant of Ukraine

Other Word Forms

• non-Ukrainian adjective

Etymology

Origin of Ukrainian

First recorded in 1810–20; Ukraine + -ian

Example Sentences

"It is premature to speak of a breakthrough. This is not even a step -- rather a first cautious move in the right direction," former Ukrainian diplomat Vadym Triukhan wrote in a recent analysis.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

The rapid proliferation of drones has made many of those weapons less relevant, and spurred Ukrainian rag-tag arms producers to become global leaders in drone warfare and anti-drone systems.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

Ukrainian intelligence estimates that more than 1,700 individuals from 36 African nations have been recruited to fight for Russia.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

The total goods that pass through Ukrainian ports shot up to 97.2 million metric tons in 2024 from 62 million tons in 2023, according to the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

It had been Cyrillic, the script that Russian and Ukrainian were written in.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros