Navajo

noun

Na·​va·​jo ˈna-və-ˌhō How to pronounce Navajo (audio) ˈnä- How to pronounce Navajo (audio)
variants or less commonly Navaho
1
plural Navajo or Navajos also Navaho or Navahos : a member of an Indigenous people of northern New Mexico and Arizona and southern Utah
2
: the language of the Navajo people

Examples of Navajo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Fans of Western movies will instantly recognize the rock formations, but anyone can see why this setting on the Navajo reservation has moved artists for generations. Shelby Slade, The Arizona Republic, 26 Nov. 2024 Situated on the Navajo reservation, the center served a community of about twenty thousand people. Stephania Taladrid, The New Yorker, 25 Nov. 2024 Touches of saddle leather and Navajo prints warm up furniture, and a tree-branch chandelier makes a serious statement at the entrance. Catherine Dunwoody, Forbes, 23 Nov. 2024 On my trip along the Colorado Plateau, many of the in-destination storytellers were Native American, specifically Hopi and Navajo (Diné). Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for Navajo 

Word History

Etymology

Spanish (Apache de) Navajó, literally, Apache of Navajó, from Navajó, area occupied by Navajos, probably from Tewa (Pueblo Indian language of northern New Mexico) navahu·, literally, arroyo with planted fields

First Known Use

1808, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Navajo was in 1808

Dictionary Entries Near Navajo

Cite this Entry

“Navajo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Navajo. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

Navajo

noun
Na·​va·​jo
variants also Navaho
plural Navajo or Navajos also Navaho or Navahos
: a member of an Indigenous people of northern New Mexico and Arizona

More from Merriam-Webster on Navajo

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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