Inupiat

noun

Inu·​pi·​at i-ˈnü-pē-ˌät 

-ˈnyü-

variants or Inupiaq

i-ˈnü-pē-ˌäk 

-ˈnyü-

1

plural Inupiat or Inupiaq or Inupiats or Inupiaqs : a member of an Inuit people of northern Alaska

2

: the language of the Inupiat people

Examples of Inupiat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Voice of the Arctic Inupiat, an advocacy group whose members include leaders from Alaska Native communities on the North Slope, hailed the sale a success. — Becky Bohrer, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2026

Twelve days later, an Inupiat man drove his snowmachine across the frozen lagoon to get some whale blubber from an ice cellar located on a spit, about two miles from the village. — Scott Haugen, Outdoor Life, 4 Feb. 2026

The blanket bounce stems from an Alaskan Inupiat tradition called nalukataq, still part of community celebrations and sport competitions today. — Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2026

Interestingly, in the language of the Inupiat tribe of Alaska’s north slope, there’s no messing around with spring. — Tom Hawking, Popular Science, 30 Apr. 2025

This Inupiat town at 66 degrees north is on the Baldwin Peninsula in Kotzebue Sound, 26 miles above the Arctic Circle. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025

All paid for by oil taken from the Inupiat homeland on the North Slope, thank you very much for all the oil. — Barry Scott Zellen, Hartford Courant, 18 Feb. 2025

Ambler Metals has a partnership with the Northwest Arctic Native Association (NANA), a company that represents Inupiat Alaska Natives. — John Towfighi, CNN, 3 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Inupiat inʸupiaq, plural inʸupiat, literally, real person

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Inupiat

• disquiet
• unquiet
• diet
• guyot
• piet
• quiet
• riot

Kids Definition

Inupiat

noun

Inu·​pi·​at in-ˈü-pē-ˌät 

in-ˈyü-

1

plural Inupiat or Inupiats : a member of the Eskimo people of northern Alaska

2

: the language of the Inupiat people