Garifuna

noun

Ga·​ri·​fu·​na ˌgär-ē-ˈfü-nə 

1

plural Garifuna or Garifunas : a member of a people of African and Caribbean Indigenous descent that live mainly along the Caribbean coast of northern Central America

2

: the Arawakan language containing many Cariban elements that is spoken by the Garifunas

Examples of Garifuna in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Closely identified with music and dance, local Garifuna performed for us in colorful costumes. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Apr. 2026

Cultural immersion extends to Garifuna heritage programming and weekly performances by local artists, embedding community participation into the guest experience. — Dianne Plummer, Forbes.com, 23 Feb. 2026

Visit the indigenous Garifuna people to learn about their traditional cooking and famous drumming. — Katrin Kirchhoff, Travel + Leisure, 13 Aug. 2025

Typically performed on acoustic guitar with percussive accompaniment, Garifuna songs combine West African rhythms with Latin, reggae, and calypso music. — Walden Green, Pitchfork, 19 Mar. 2025

Visit Canada After Palacio’s death, Martínez became arguably the world’s most prominent Garifuna musician. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2025

Musician and congressman Aurelio Martinez among those killed Among those killed was Aurelio Martinez, a prominent Honduran musician known for his involvement in the Garifuna scene, his record label confirmed in a statement Tuesday. — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Garifuna garífuna, a self-designation; akin to Taino caribe, caribi Carib, Island Carib (Arawakan language of the Lesser Antilles) Callípona, a self-designation, Guianan Carib kariʔna Carib, person

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for Garifuna

• calluna
• lacuna
• laguna
• tribuna
• varuna
• vicuna
• kuna
• luna
• tuna