Japanese

[ jap-uh-neez, -nees ]

adjective

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

noun

plural Japanese.

1. Often Offensive. a native or inhabitant of Japan or a person of Japanese descent.
2. the language of Japan. : Japn., Japn

Japanese

/ ˌdʒæpəˈniːz /

adjective

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

noun

1. -nese 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

• an·ti-Jap·a·nese adjective noun plural antiJapanese
• non-Jap·an·ese adjective noun plural nonJapanese
• pro-Jap·a·nese adjective noun plural proJapanese
• pseu·do-Jap·a·nese adjective noun plural pseudoJapanese
• qua·si-Jap·a·nese adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Japanese¹

First recorded in 1580–90; Japan + -ese

Example Sentences

Both sunlight and moonlight play roles in regulating the spawning and migration of Japanese eels.

From Salon

For example, Fernando Alonso made some interesting comments in this context at the Japanese Grand Prix, which have given pause for thought to the powers that be.

From BBC

Verstappen won the Japanese Grand Prix a week before Bahrain but that victory was founded on a pole position lap that many F1 observers regarded as one of the greatest of all time.

From BBC

Loosely inspired by a prolonged hostage crisis at the Japanese Embassy in Peru in the 1990s, Patchett sets hers in a fictional South American nation.

From Los Angeles Times

“I’ve heard no Japanese pitcher has won it yet, so I’m awfully interested in it,” Yamamoto said in Japanese.

From Los Angeles Times