Ronin
/ˈroʊ.nɪn/noun
A samurai in feudal Japan who had no master, especially after the death or dismissal of his lord.
Did you know?The term’s imagery connects masterlessness with drifting like a wave, while later stories transformed the ronin into a symbol of loyalty, revenge, and radical independence.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Chinese
Chinese
浪人
“A wandering or displaced person; the characters were later read in Japanese.”
8th–9th Century
Japanese
rōnin (浪人)
“A person who had left or lost a settled status; literally, a drifting person.”
12th–16th Century
Japanese
rōnin
“A samurai without a lord, often because his master had died, been defeated, or been dispossessed.”
17th Century
Japanese
rōnin
“A masterless samurai, sometimes living by mercenary work, teaching, banditry, or wandering.”
19th–20th Century
English
ronin
“An adopted term for a masterless samurai, later used more broadly for an independent or unattached person.”