Inuit

noun

In·​u·​it ˈi-n(y)ü-wət How to pronounce Inuit (audio)
variants or less commonly Innuit
1
plural Inuit or Inuits also Innuit or Innuits
a
: a group of Indigenous peoples of northern Alaska, arctic Canada, and Greenland
used especially for those of the Canadian Arctic and Greenland

Note: In Canada, the name Inuit refers to one of three major, legally recognized groups of aboriginal peoples, the other two being the First Nations and the Métis.

see also inuk
b
: a member of such people
2
: any of the languages of the Inuit
Usage of Eskimo and Inuit

Eskimo is a word that presents challenges for anyone who is concerned about avoiding the use of offensive language. Its offensiveness stems partly from a now-discredited belief that it was originally a pejorative term meaning "eater of raw flesh," but perhaps more significantly from its being a word imposed on aboriginal peoples by outsiders. It has long been considered a word to be avoided in Canada, where native people refer to themselves as Inuit, a word that means "people" in their language. But not all the native people who are referred to as Eskimos are Inuit. Eskimo has no exact synonym; it has a general meaning that encompasses a number of indigenous peoples, and it continues for now in widespread use in many parts of the English-speaking world.

Examples of Inuit in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web That number includes Inuit, Cree, and Naskapi JBNQA beneficiaries who have free access. Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2024 Unless all of one’s ancestors are Inuit, Hawaiian or Native American — the inhabitants of the states before colonization — then all of us are descended from immigrants. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 18 Oct. 2024 Exhibitions there focus on early Norse settlements, Inuit ways of transportation, whale oil refineries and the Thule people, who are the ancestors of today's Greenlanders, . Catherine Garcia, The Week Us, theweek, 15 Oct. 2024 Canada’s national parks service and the Inuit communities found the final resting place of the HMS Erebus in 2014 and the HMS Terror in 2016. Katie Hunt, CNN, 11 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for Inuit 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Inuit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Inuit inuit, plural of inuk person

First Known Use

1745, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of Inuit was in 1745

Dictionary Entries Near Inuit

Cite this Entry

“Inuit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Inuit. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

Inuit

noun
In·​u·​it ˈi-n(y)ü-wət How to pronounce Inuit (audio)
variants also Innuit
1
plural Inuit or Inuits also Innuit or Innuits
a
: any of a number of groups of Indigenous peoples of northern Alaska, arctic Canada, and Greenland
used especially of those of the Canadian Arctic and Greenland
b
: a member of such people
2
: any of the languages of the Inuit
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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