samurai
noun
sam·u·rai
ˈsa-mə-ˌrī 
ˈsam-yə-
plural samurai
1
: a military retainer of a Japanese daimyo practicing the code of conduct of Bushido
2
: the warrior aristocracy of Japan
Examples of samurai in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The samurai were a class of people whose role changed dramatically over time.
—
Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 8 Mar. 2024
Three hundred years ago, the samurai of Aizu, a mountainous area in Fukushima prefecture, began brewing rice liquor.
—La Carmina, Travel + Leisure, 27 Jan. 2024
History enthusiasts know Kagoshima, which includes what was once the feudal domain of Satsuma, as the birthplace, in 1828, of Saigo Takamori, known as the last samurai, who led the movement to overthrow the military shogunate in Edo (present-day Tokyo).
—Mihoko Iida Josh Robenstone Richard Pedaline, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2024
Finally, Danai Gurira’s sword-slinging samurai Michonne cut into season three, following a cliffhanger tease one season earlier, emerging as one of the most vital figures in Walking Dead lore.
—Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024
One of the highlights here is the Nomura Residence, the only samurai residence open to the public in Nagamachi.
—Lauren Mowery, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Capcom’s epic demands players immerse themselves in its high-fantasy adventure while Team Ninja’s samurai epic brings fresh eyes to a type of open-world game that Ubisoft specializes in.
—Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2024
Jarvis adds that the samurai houses needed to be completely waterproofed due to the gloomy Vancouver weather.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 28 Feb. 2024
In the nearby Izu-no-kuni region, road biking and e-biking are the best ways to discover historic towns and the origins of samurai culture.
—Jonny Bierman, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2024
Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 8 Mar. 2024
Three hundred years ago, the samurai of Aizu, a mountainous area in Fukushima prefecture, began brewing rice liquor.
—La Carmina, Travel + Leisure, 27 Jan. 2024
History enthusiasts know Kagoshima, which includes what was once the feudal domain of Satsuma, as the birthplace, in 1828, of Saigo Takamori, known as the last samurai, who led the movement to overthrow the military shogunate in Edo (present-day Tokyo).
—Mihoko Iida Josh Robenstone Richard Pedaline, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2024
Finally, Danai Gurira’s sword-slinging samurai Michonne cut into season three, following a cliffhanger tease one season earlier, emerging as one of the most vital figures in Walking Dead lore.
—Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024
One of the highlights here is the Nomura Residence, the only samurai residence open to the public in Nagamachi.
—Lauren Mowery, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Capcom’s epic demands players immerse themselves in its high-fantasy adventure while Team Ninja’s samurai epic brings fresh eyes to a type of open-world game that Ubisoft specializes in.
—Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2024
Jarvis adds that the samurai houses needed to be completely waterproofed due to the gloomy Vancouver weather.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 28 Feb. 2024
In the nearby Izu-no-kuni region, road biking and e-biking are the best ways to discover historic towns and the origins of samurai culture.
—Jonny Bierman, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'samurai.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near samurai
Cite this Entry
“Samurai.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/samurai. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
samurai
noun
sam·u·rai
ˈsam-(y)ə-ˌrī
plural samurai
: a warrior serving a Japanese feudal lord and practicing a code of conduct which valued honor over life
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