Inca

noun

In·​ca ˈiŋ-kə How to pronounce Inca (audio)
1
a
: a member of the Quechuan peoples of Peru maintaining an empire until the Spanish conquest
b
: a king or noble of the Inca empire
2
: a member of any people under Inca influence
Incaic adjective
Incan adjective

Examples of Inca in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Inca Empire lasted from around 1400 to 1533 A.D. — so the individual died some 400 years before the rise of the Incans. Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 28 June 2025 Researchers from Penn State University and in Bolivia have recently discovered a temple from the Tiwanaku civilization, one of the largest empires that emerged before the Inca. Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 25 June 2025 From the November 1967 issue: Peru’s Inca renaissance Khipus are another. Sam Kean, The Atlantic, 26 May 2025 When the photographer Víctor Zea was a child living in Lima, Peru, he was taught an Inca myth of origin. Ana Karina Zatarain, New Yorker, 21 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for Inca

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from Quechua inka ruler of the Inca empire

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of Inca was in 1594

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Inca.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Inca. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

Inca

noun
In·​ca ˈiŋ-kə How to pronounce Inca (audio)
1
: a noble or a member of the Indigenous peoples of Peru maintaining an empire until the Spanish conquest
2
: a member of any people under Inca influence
Incan adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on Inca

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!