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Ninjas may seem mysterious, but the origin of their name is not. The word ninja derives from the Japanese characters nin and ja. Nin initially meant "persevere," but over time it developed the extended meanings "conceal" and "move stealthily." In Japanese, ja is the combining form of sha, meaning "person." Ninjas originated in the mountains of ancient Japan as practitioners of ninjutsu, a martial art sometimes called "the art of stealth" or "the art of invisibility." They often served as military spies and were trained in disguise, concealment, geography, meteorology, medicine, and also the arts of combat and self-defense we associate with modern martial arts. Popular legends still identify them with espionage and assassinations, but modern ninjas are most likely to study ninjutsu to improve their physical fitness and self-defense skills.
Examples of ninja in a Sentence
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2024
The game debuted in 1987 in arcades, and focused on modern-day ninja Joe Musashi, a man who confronts great evil.
—Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Ubisoft has one last card to play in 2024, the release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows where players will fight as a samurai and a ninja in feudal Japan.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 4 Sep. 2024
World Series prediction: Philadelphia Phillies The Athletic, Keith Law
The offense could be among the best in the NL again; their weakest spot might be DH, and that’s not that hard to fix if your GM is a ninja.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Ninja.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ninja. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
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