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
His church won independence in 2019 from the Russian Orthodox Church, but some congregations continued to follow the hierarchy in Moscow.
—
Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2025
The rainfall was so intense that in one dramatic example, a mudslide caused an entire house to slip down a bank into the Russian River on Tuesday around lunchtime, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2025
The Russian River reached flood stage in multiple places Wednesday morning in the wake of an atmospheric river storm that brought heavy rain and high winds to the area, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
—David Caraccio, Sacramento Bee, 5 Feb. 2025
The Arbat Battalion was formed in September 2022 and operates under the control of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
—Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
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Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2025
The rainfall was so intense that in one dramatic example, a mudslide caused an entire house to slip down a bank into the Russian River on Tuesday around lunchtime, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2025
The Russian River reached flood stage in multiple places Wednesday morning in the wake of an atmospheric river storm that brought heavy rain and high winds to the area, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
—David Caraccio, Sacramento Bee, 5 Feb. 2025
The Arbat Battalion was formed in September 2022 and operates under the control of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
—Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for Russian
Dictionary Entries Near Russian
Cite this Entry
“Russian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Russian. Accessed 9 Feb. 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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