Ronin
name, noun, slang ·2 syllables ·Uncommon ·College level
Definitions
- 1 A masterless samurai (who often becomes a mercenary to make ends meet).
"Back at Asano’s home in Ako, his chancellor, Oishi (Tatsuo Ichikawa), rallies the samurai, now known as ronin because they are without a master, in a campaign to avenge Asano and restore his clan’s honor."
- 2 A student who has failed the entrance examination for the high school or university of their choice: if the student does not wish to take the exam the following year or is unable to, the student becomes a ronin, assuming full responsibility for their own training and survival. colloquial
- 1 A male given name originating as a coinage.
"He shook Chaz's hand. “Please call me Ronin.” Ronin. The sexy, mysterious name fit him perfectly."
Example
More examples"A ronin may not have the status of a daimyo, but he has the freedom that the latter may never have."
Etymology
From Japanese 浪人 (rōnin), in turn from Middle Chinese 浪人 (MC langH nyin, “dissolute, wasteful, unrestrained + person”).
From modern films and comics, perhaps literally "a ronin". Compare also Ronan.
More for "ronin"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.