Tutsi

noun

Tut·​si ˈtü-sē How to pronounce Tutsi (audio) ˈtüt- How to pronounce Tutsi (audio)
plural Tutsi or Tutsis
: a member of a people of Rwanda and Burundi probably of Nilotic origin

Examples of Tutsi in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The conflict can be traced to the aftermath of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, where Hutu militias killed between 500,000 and 1 million ethnic Tutsi, as well as moderate Hutus and Twa, Indigenous people. Chinedu Asadu, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025 There were no serious transitional justice programs, no adequate land reform projects to address rural poverty and inequality, and the stigmatization of the Congolese Tutsi community—one driver of the current conflict––was never addressed. Joshua Z. Walker, Foreign Affairs, 17 June 2025 Opportunistic Congolese politicians and preachers have amplified hate speech against the Congolese Tutsi community, from which most M23 leaders come. Jason K. Stearns, TIME, 19 Mar. 2025 It was established to remember members of the Tutsi community, an African ethnic group, who were killed or injured in the atrocities. Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025 In the 100 days that followed, Hutu extremists slaughtered and raped hundreds of thousands of minority Tutsi and Hutu moderates. John Annese, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2025 Speaking in French, Swahili and Kinyarwanda — the language of Rwanda and of many Congolese Hutu and Tutsi — the leaders vowed to march on Kinshasa. Emmet Livingstone, The Dial, 20 Mar. 2025 Advertisement Much like how Russia has justified the occupation of Donbas, Rwanda claims to be protecting an ethnic minority—in this case, the Tutsi community, which lives in both countries. Jason K. Stearns, TIME, 19 Mar. 2025 Between 500,000 to 800,000 people belonging to the Tutsi minority ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Twa were killed by armed Hutu militias over the course of 100 days between April 7 and July 15, 1994. Zac Ntim, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Tutsi was in 1950

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Cite this Entry

“Tutsi.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Tutsi. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

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