Pawnee

noun

Paw·​nee pȯ-ˈnē How to pronounce Pawnee (audio)
pä-
plural Pawnee or Pawnees
: a member of an Indigenous people living in east-central Nebraska during the first half of the 19th century

Note: Current members of the Pawnee live as part of the federally recognized Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma.

Examples of Pawnee in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web More from Pawnee:The 15 best Hoosier Moments in 'Parks and Recreation' Season 7, Episode 12: 'One Last Ride' In the series finale, a flash forward to 2025 shows Leslie and Ben at a dinner party hosted by Joe and Jill Biden. Jenny Porter Tilley, The Indianapolis Star, 11 July 2024 The workplace comedy, done in the style of The Office, centered around the employees in charge of the parks in the town of Pawnee, Indiana. Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 10 July 2024 The comedy series was a mockumentary and starred Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, a mid-level bureaucrat running the Parks Department in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 9 July 2024 Leslie's hyperactive enthusiasm for improving Pawnee was guided by Ron's steady, sage advice. Ew Staff, EW.com, 3 July 2024 In a Season 4 episode of Parks and Recreation, protagonist Leslie Knope struggles to balance her job at the Pawnee Parks Department, her campaign for city council, and her obligations to her friends. Alex Muresianu, Orange County Register, 10 June 2024 With a tone that recalls Quentin Tarantino, The English tells the tale of a grieving mother (Emily Blunt) and a member of the Pawnee Nation (Chaske Spencer) who are forced into an allyship to survive a brutal journey. Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 16 May 2024 In the early morning of March 26, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers found Brent Markey at the northeast corner of East 30th Street and Pawnee Drive. Jade Thomas, The Indianapolis Star, 24 Apr. 2024 Poehler’s Leslie Knope, deputy director of the department, worked her way serving the fictional town of Pawnee, Ind., Retta starred as Donna Meagle, the department’s office manager. Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 8 June 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Pawnee.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

of Siouan origin; akin to Osage ppáį Pawnee, Omaha ppáðį

First Known Use

1698, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Pawnee was in 1698

Dictionary Entries Near Pawnee

Cite this Entry

“Pawnee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Pawnee. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

Pawnee

noun
Paw·​nee pȯ-ˈnē How to pronounce Pawnee (audio)
pä-
: a member of an Indigenous people originally of Nebraska and Kansas

More from Merriam-Webster on Pawnee

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