1
a
: a native or inhabitant of Russia
b
: a member of the dominant Slavic-speaking ethnic group of Russia
c
: a person of Russian descent
2
: a Slavic language of the Russian people spoken as a second language by many non-Russian ethnic groups of the Soviet Union and its successor states
Russian
adjective
Examples of Russian in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Western supporters of Ukraine have frozen roughly $300 billion in Russian Central Bank assets, as well as seizing and detaining yachts owned by Russian citizens under sanctions.
—
John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
The finale could have been much worse for the Russian.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025
An elderly Jew, not Russian, who is the treasurer of the condominium board.
—David Bezmozgis, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2025
The Russian finally did so having played the same amount of games — 1,487 — that Gretzky managed during his 20-year career.
—Wayne Sterling, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for Russian
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John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
The finale could have been much worse for the Russian.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025
An elderly Jew, not Russian, who is the treasurer of the condominium board.
—David Bezmozgis, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2025
The Russian finally did so having played the same amount of games — 1,487 — that Gretzky managed during his 20-year career.
—Wayne Sterling, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for Russian
Cite this Entry
“Russian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Russian. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Russian
noun
Rus·sian
ˈrəsh-ən 
1
: a person born or living in Russia
2
: a Slavic language of the Russian people
Russian
adjective
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