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
Zelensky previously refused to cede territory to Russia to bring an end to the war, while Moscow has demanded Ukraine give up its aspirations to join NATO, and recognize Crimea and the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, as Russian.
—
Isabel Van Brugen, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
The Russian Defense Ministry on Sunday accused Ukraine of violating Moscow’s ceasefire more than 14,000 times.
—Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2025
After the Napoleonic wars in Europe, Germans from their country’s southern Württemberg region began settling in Azerbaijan in 1817, lured by the Russian Empire’s promise of free land, tax exemptions and religious freedom.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
The Trump administration is also prepared to recognize the Ukrainian region of Crimea that Putin annexed in 2014 as Russian, Bloomberg reported in April.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for Russian
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Isabel Van Brugen, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
The Russian Defense Ministry on Sunday accused Ukraine of violating Moscow’s ceasefire more than 14,000 times.
—Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2025
After the Napoleonic wars in Europe, Germans from their country’s southern Württemberg region began settling in Azerbaijan in 1817, lured by the Russian Empire’s promise of free land, tax exemptions and religious freedom.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
The Trump administration is also prepared to recognize the Ukrainian region of Crimea that Putin annexed in 2014 as Russian, Bloomberg reported in April.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 10 May 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 20 May. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share