Definition of: Russian

adjective
Pertaining to Russia, its people, or their language.
—noun
1. An inhabitant of Russia; especially, one of any of the ethnic Slavic peoples, including the Great Russians of the central and northwestern region, the Ukrainians (or Little Russians) of the Ukraine and eastern Poland, which group includes also the Cossacks and Ruthenians, and the White Russians of the west, all speaking Indo-European Balto-Slavic languages, such as Russian, Polish, Lithuanian, and Lettish; also, one of any of the peoples of Russia speaking any of the Uralic languages, especially the Finno-Ugric branch; also, one of any of the native peoples of the Caucasus speaking languages unrelated to these others, as Circassian, Georgian, and the Lesghian group.
2. The language of Russia, belonging to the East Slavic branch of the Balto-Slavic languages, having a separate alphabet including several characters not found in other alphabets. Its subdivisions are Great Russian, the principal subdivision and standard literary language in northern and central Russia, Ukrainian or Ruthenian (or Little Russia), and White Russian, the literary language of western Russia.