Definition of "sensei" [sensei]

• A judo or karate teacher. (noun)
• A teacher or mentor. (noun)
• Used as a form of address for such a person. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "When addressing a teacher in the West, a student might say, “Excuse me, Mr. Smith,” but in Japan, the term sensei without a name is sufficient."
• "We use Japanese in our class, but I guess our sensei is a traditionalist."
• "It might take a decade to happen, but we all know it will, because our sensei is just that good."