(n.pl.&sing.) In the former feudal system of Japan, the class or a member of the class, of military retainers of the daimios, constituting the gentry or lesser nobility. They possessed power of life and death over the commoners, and wore two swords as their distinguishing mark. Their special rights and privileges were abolished with the fall of feudalism in 1871.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). samurai. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/samurai/definitions/2057725 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "samurai" http://smartdefine.org/samurai/definitions/2057725 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, samurai, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/samurai/definitions/2057725>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "samurai" 28 May 2011. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/samurai/definitions/2057725> |