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

Stage 1 fire restrictions are still in place for Apache, Coconino, Gila, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo and Pinal counties. —Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 22 May 2026

Origins of a global E & P cash flow king Founded in 1954 with just six employees and $250,000, the company, then known as Apache Oil, drilled its first wells in Cushing, Oklahoma. —Justin Zacks, CNBC, 20 May 2026

Elizabeth Tafoya is Jicarilla Apache and Laguna Pueblo. —Anna Alejo, CBS News, 11 May 2026

The video then cuts to two Apache helicopters whirling up. —Jack Dunn, Variety, 2 May 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