First Nation

noun

plural First Nations

: any of a number of peoples especially of Canada who are indigenous to the North American continent

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

But then along came Idle No More, an ongoing grassroots movement led by Canada's First Nations, Métis and Inuit to defend treaty rights and demand respect from Ottawa.

—Katrina Sieniuc

Nearly 1,000 friends and family members gathered Saturday to celebrate the 100-year life of a revered elder of a southern Alberta First Nation.

—The Globe and Mail

Some First Nations in northeastern Ontario have re-opened their borders as COVID-19 numbers drop …

—Erik White

Fort William First Nation and other First Nations in the Lake Superior region are among those that have a direct stake in the outcome.

—Gary Rinne

—often used before another noun in both the singular and the plural

… the intimate relationship between First Nations peoples and plants …

—Tom O'Brien

The provincial museum has one of the world's finest collections of First Nations art …

—Caroline Bates

Examples of First Nation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Suite incorporates spoken word pieces as well, by professor and former Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation Chief Stacey LaForme and Hearn’s uncle Neil O’Donnell, a geologist, among others. —Gary Graff, Billboard, 21 Nov. 2025

Bella Coolla, about 270 miles northwest of Vancouver, is home to the Nuxalk First Nation, an Indigenous community. —Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025

Bassist, vocalist, songwriter and composer Mali Obomsawin, a citizen of the Odanak First Nation in central Quebec, is in the thick of the creative ferment, both as a member of vocalist Julia Keefe’s Indigenous Big Band and as a bandleader in her own right. —Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2025

Harvey, who is the inaugural recipient of the First Nation Writers Residency in partnership with Boston University and First Nations Writers Network, works across film, theater and visual arts. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 4 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1980, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for First Nation

• ablation
• bination
• carnation
• cassation
• castration
• causation
• centration
• cessation
• cetacean
• chelation
• citation
• collation

Kids Definition

First Nation

noun

: any of the groups of people especially of Canada who are indigenous to the North American continent