Historical: a masterless samurai (ronin); a samurai who has lost his lord.
江戸時代、多くの浪人が職を求めて各地を巡った。
In the Edo period, many ronin traveled around seeking employment.
かつての浪人は主君を失った侍を指していた。
Originally, 'ronin' referred to a samurai who had lost his lord.
A person who failed university entrance exams and spends a year preparing to try again (exam ronin).
去年大学受験に失敗して、今年は浪人してもう一度挑戦するつもりだ。
I failed the university exam last year, so this year I'll be a ronin and try again.
浪人生活は精神的に大変だが、勉強時間はたっぷりある。
Life as a ronin is mentally tough, but there's plenty of time to study.
予備校で浪人仲間と切磋琢磨している。
I'm training with other ronin at a prep school, pushing each other.
A person who is out of work; an unemployed person (colloquial usage).
リストラで彼は浪人になり、職探しを続けている。
He became unemployed due to restructuring and has been looking for a job.
何ヶ月も浪人している友人に声をかけた。
I reached out to a friend who's been out of work for months.
Archaic/original meaning: a wanderer or drifter; someone who roams without a permanent home.
古い物語には、放浪する浪人の姿がしばしば描かれる。
Old tales often depict wandering ronin who roam about.