武者|むしゃmusha[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. nounwarrior

• Synonym侍さむらいNeutralThe everyday word for a samurai, especially an Edo-period daimyo's retainer; also figuratively a person with backbone. More common in speech than 「武者」.
• Synonym武士ぶしNeutralRefers to the samurai as a class and stresses their status; somewhat formal, as in 「武士道」.
• Synonym戦士せんしNeutralA soldier or fighter in any context, not limited to Japanese samurai; seen in coinages like 「企業戦士」.
• Synonym武家ぶけWrittenWritten/formal: a samurai family or the samurai class, stressing lineage; can also mean a samurai himself, as in 「武家屋敷」.
• SynonymつわものWrittenA brave or highly capable person, as in 「歴戦の兵」; a literary word, mostly in written prose.
• Related兵へいWrittenA brave or highly capable person, as in 「歴戦の兵」; a literary word, mostly in written prose.
• Related闘士とうしNeutralA fighter for a cause or belief, as in 「闘士型」; about conviction, not the samurai's martial arts.
• Related兵隊へいたいNeutralA rank-and-file soldier or, figuratively, an underling; colloquial, as in 「兵隊さん」. For soldiers, not samurai.
• Related戦闘員せんとういんWrittenA combatant in the military sense; formal written prose, stressing the person's status as a fighter.
• Related干城かんじょうWrittenA samurai or soldier who defends the nation; archaic literary word, rarely seen in modern Japanese.
• Related士しNeutralThe same word as 「侍」 above, written 「士」; it means a samurai, but this spelling is rare — 「侍」 is the usual form.

Use 「武者」 for a samurai or someone trained in the martial arts, as in 「武者修行」 and 「若武者」. In everyday speech prefer 「侍」 or 「武士」. For soldiers, use 「兵隊」 or 「戦士」; for samurai families or the class, 「武家」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 武芸ぶげいに携たずさわる者もの、またはその集団しゅうだん。
2. 武士ぶし。