Apache

noun

ə-ˈpa-chē 

in sense 3

ə-ˈpash 

plural Apache or Apaches ə-ˈpa-chēz 

-ˈpash, 

-ˈpa-shəz

1

: a member of a group of Indigenous peoples of the southwestern U.S.

2

: any of the Athabascan languages of the Apache people

3

apache [French, from Apache "Apache"]

a

: a member of a gang of criminals especially in Paris

b

: ruffian

Apachean

ə-ˈpa-chē-ən 

adjective or noun

Examples of Apache in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And, in fact, a drone collided with an Apache helicopter last week. —CBS News, 14 June 2026

Culdesac sits adjacent to the Smith–Martin/Apache Boulevard metro station on the A Line of the Valley Metro Rail system that runs throughout the Phoenix metro. —Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 12 June 2026

Artists featured in the Healey trove include Cara Romero (Chemehuevi), Allan Houser (Apache) and Jaune-Quick-to-See Smith (Confederated Salish and Kootenai). —News Desk, Artforum, 11 June 2026

The crew of the Apache gunship was rescued on Monday, June 8, after the aircraft went down near the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Oman. —Joey Garrison, USA Today, 10 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

American Spanish, perhaps from Zuni ʔa·paču Navajo, Apachean

First Known Use

1703, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Apache

• catchy
• patchy
• scratchy
• malachi

Kids Definition

Apache

noun

ə-ˈpach-ē 

plural Apache or Apaches

: a member of a group of Indigenous peoples of the southwestern U.S.

also : any of the languages of the Apache people