What does "german" mean?
A native or inhabitant of Germany; a person of German citizenship or nationality.
German
/ˈd͡ʒɜː.mən/ adj, name, noun, slang
adj, name, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A native or inhabitant of Germany; a person of German citizenship or nationality.
- Grammar: german is listed as adj, name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: affiliated, agnate, akin, allied.
- Useful contrasts: bavarian, foreign, foreign language.
- Usage evidence: When did you begin learning German?
How to use "german"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "german" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "german" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "german" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "german" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "german" is acting as adj, name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "affiliated" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "german", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A native or inhabitant of Germany; a person of German citizenship or nationality. countable
- 2 A near relative. obsolete
"Which when his german saw, the stony feare / Ran to his hart, and all his sence dismayd […]"
- 3 An elaborate round dance, often with a waltz movement.
"Through the years, though, the german was replaced by new and more popular dances, but in many instances the name stayed on."
- 4 the standard German language; developed historically from West Germanic wordnet
- 5 A member of the Germanic ethnic group which is the most populous ethnic group in Germany; a person of German descent. countable, uncountable
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 A social party at which the german is danced.
- 7 a person of German nationality wordnet
- 8 A member of a Germanic tribe. countable, historical, uncountable
"Rome was sacked by Germans and the Western Roman Empire collapsed."
- 9 A German wine. countable, uncountable
"[…] tie them tightly in a thickly floured cloth, and boil them for three hours and a half. We can recommend this as a remarkably light small rich pudding : it may be served with German, wine, or punch sauce."
- 10 A size of type between American and Saxon, 1+¹⁄₂-point type. US, dated, rare, uncountable
- 11 A Germany-produced car, a “German whip”. Multicultural-London-English, countable, slang, uncountable
"In my German, they calling me a baller (skrr) Got me feeling like Özil"
- 12 A prison warder. British, countable, slang, uncountable
"There are some 32 different terms for prison officers, from the humorously affectionate kanga(rhyming slang:kangaroo = screw) and the variants Scooby-Doo and Dr. Who via the mildly confrontational German (as if still the enemy over 50 years after World War II!) to the outright abuse of shit-parcel."
Adjective
- 1 Of or relating to the nation of Germany.
"In Prussia, always the most progressive of the German states during the Weimar years and a stronghold of the two parties, Jews could be found in virtually all administrative departments […]."
- 2 Having the same mother and father; a full (brother or sister).
"brother-german"
- 3 Of or relating to the natives or inhabitants of Germany; to people of German descent; to their cultures.
"Her German husband has blond hair."
- 4 Being born to one’s blood aunt or uncle, a first (cousin).
"cousin-german"
- 5 Of, in or relating to the German language.
"Because the instructions were German, Yves couldn't read them."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Closely related, akin. obsolete
"After this Merlyn told vnto kynge Arthur of the prophecye / that there shold be a grete batail besyde Salysbury and Mordred his owne sone sholde be ageynste hym / Also he tolde hym that Basdemegus was his cosyn and germayn vnto kynge Vryence"
Adjective
- 1 of or pertaining to or characteristic of Germany or its people or language wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 An Indo-European (Indo-Germanic) language, primarily spoken in Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, South Tyrol, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and a small part of Belgium. uncountable
"Meronyms: Low German (Plattdeutsch), High German"
- 2 A surname.
- 3 A number of townships in the United States, listed under German Township.
- 4 A parish of the sheading of Glenfaba, Isle of Man.
Example
"When did you begin learning German?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "german"?
Common synonyms include: affiliated, agnate, akin, allied, ancestry, architecture.
How do you use "german" in a sentence?
When did you begin learning German?
How do you pronounce "german"?
Pronounced /ˈd͡ʒɜː.mən/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Latin Germānus, Germānī (“the peoples of Germānia”), as distinct from Gauls (in the writings of Caesar and Tacitus), and of uncertain ultimate origin (possibly Celtic/Gaulish). Not related to german (“closely related”) or germane (from the Latin adjective germānus, through Old French). Attested since at least 1520. Replaced the older terms Almain and Dutch (from Proto-Germanic *þiudiskaz) in English. Besides cognates of German, Almain, and Dutch, two other categories of words for the Germans in other languages are cognates of Saxon and descendants of Proto-Slavic *němьcь; see those entries for more. The surname is generally from the noun, though sometimes confused with Herman, Hermann under Russian influence. As a German surname, Americanized from Germann. Compare Germán, Germain, Jerman.
Etymology 2
From Old French germain, from Latin germānus. See also germane, a formal variant which has survived in specific senses. Not related to the proper noun German.
Etymology 3
From German (“of Germany”).