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 Words From

• anti-Russian adjective noun
• half-Russian adjective
• non-Russian adjective noun
• pro-Russian adjective noun
• pseudo-Russian adjective noun
• semi-Russian adjective noun

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

To scholars of authoritarianism, asserting a high degree of personal control over the military is typical of global strongmen in the mold of Syria’s Bashar Assad or Russian President Vladimir Putin.

From Los Angeles Times

McCarthy also said the president-elect could deal with the war in Ukraine, repeating a Trump argument that Russian President Vladimir Putin didn’t invade during his first administration.

From Los Angeles Times

In the same year, she also faced criticism for her perceived support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, seen as a key Russian ally.

From BBC

And yet, over 10,000 Russians keep dying from drug overdoses each year, a toll which has more than doubled since 2019.

From Salon

Mueller’s investigation found a slate of communications between Trump campaign officials and Russian agents, but not enough to justify criminal charges against Trump.

From Los Angeles Times