samurai

samurai — noun

1. a high-ranking warrior in feudal Japan who served a lord and lived by the strict

1.nounB2
Definition

a high-ranking warrior in feudal Japan who served a lord and lived by the strict honor code of Bushido

Example

The old samurai taught his son the ways of Bushido from a very young age.

noun used with definite article + modifier

When the mountain village was threatened by bandits, a samurai stood guard at the bridge.

samurai in historical narrative context

Common collocations
  • samurai warrior
  • samurai sword
  • samurai armor
  • samurai class
  • samurai culture
  • samurai code of honor
  • samurai spirit
  • way of the samurai
Synonyms
  • knight

    European equivalent; different culture and code of conduct (chivalry vs. Bushido)

  • warrior

    broader term; samurai is a culturally specific type of warrior

  • bushi

    Japanese term for 'warrior'; samurai is a subset of bushi with higher rank

Antonyms
  • commoner

    a person of ordinary social rank, unlike the high-ranking samurai

  • peasant

    the lowest feudal class in historical Japan, opposite in social standing

Grammar Patterns

samurai + noun

number + samurai

Usage Note

The plural form is the same as the singular: one samurai, two samurai. In modern English, the word is sometimes used metaphorically for someone who shows extraordinary discipline, skill, or loyalty in a non-military field, such as business or sports.

Common Mistakes

Many samurais served the daimyo during the Edo period.
Many samurai served the daimyo during the Edo period.
The plural of samurai is the same as the singular; do not add -s.
The samurai fights with a katana.
The samurai fought with a katana.
When referring to historical samurai, use past tense.

Word family

  • bushido
    nounB2
  • daimyo
    nounC1
  • shogun
    nounB2
  • ronin
    nounC1
  • katana
    nounB2
  • wakizashi
    nounC1
  • seppuku
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Samurai, knight, warrior, and bushi all refer to armed fighters, but they differ in cultural setting and social structure. A samurai was a member of Japan's feudal military elite, bound by Bushido — a code emphasizing loyalty, honor, and self-discipline. A knight belonged to medieval Europe's nobility and followed chivalry, which stressed Christian duty and courtly behavior. Warrior is the broadest term, covering any trained fighter across any culture or time period. Bushi is a Japanese word for 'warrior' that includes but is not limited to samurai; not all bushi held the same high rank. For example, a low-ranking foot soldier in feudal Japan was a bushi but not a samurai. A modern soldier might be called a warrior but would not be called a samurai.

knight ↗warrior ↗bushi

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • way of the samurai
  • code of the samurai
  • spirit of the samurai

Etymology

JapaneseEnglish

Samurai comes from the Japanese word 侍 (samurai), which originally meant 'one who serves.' It derives from the verb 侍う (saburau), 'to serve' or 'to attend to a superior.' The term reflects the historical role of these warriors as retainers who served a daimyo (feudal lord). The word entered English in the early 1700s through travel writings about Japan.