Javanese

noun

Ja·​va·​nese
ˌja-və-ˈnēz, 
ˌjä- How to pronounce Javanese (audio) -ˈnēs How to pronounce Javanese (audio)
plural Javanese
1
: a member of an Indonesian people inhabiting the island of Java
2
: an Austronesian language of the Javanese people
Javanese adjective

Examples of Javanese in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Javanese treat gets rolled in shredded coconut and drenched in palm sugar syrup (though maple syrup makes a suitable substitute). — Kat Lieu, Saveur, 6 Aug. 2025 There’s also Austronesian, comprising languages that include Malay, Javanese, and Tagalog. — Martha Barnette august 6, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2025 Carson Light Mahogany Finish in Javanese Stripe Brown. — Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 6 Aug. 2025 In Indonesia, telecom operator Indosat and tech startup Goto are collaborating to launch a 70 billion parameter LLM that operates in Bahasa Indonesia as well as five other local languages, including Javanese, Balinese, and Bataknese. — Cecilia Hult, Fortune, 15 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for Javanese

Word History

Etymology

Java + -nese (as in Japanese)

First Known Use

1704, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Javanese was in 1704

Phrases Containing Javanese

Rhymes for Javanese

See All Rhymes for Javanese

Browse Nearby Words

Javan
Javanese
Javanese skunk
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Javanese.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Javanese. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on Javanese

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Javanese

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All