Tlingit

noun

Tlin·​git ˈtliŋ-kət 

-gət

also ˈkliŋ-

1

plural Tlingit or Tlingits : a member of a group of First Nations peoples of the islands and coast of southern Alaska

2

: the language of the Tlingit peoples

Tlingit adjective

Examples of Tlingit in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Surrounded by the Tongass National Forest, the city preserves the traditions of the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian peoples through towering cedar totem poles that tell stories of family lineage and legend. — Alia Beard Rau, USA Today, 10 June 2026

Set along the Inside Passage and surrounded by the lush Tongass National Forest, the city offers an immersive introduction to the art, stories, and traditions of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian peoples. — Josh Rivera, USA Today, 13 May 2026

Since 2021, the Tlingit couple has led small-group bear tracking excursions through Wilderness Island Tours, offering guests a deeper, more meaningful experience. — Debbie Olsen, Travel + Leisure, 2 May 2026

Stops include Ketchikan, where towering totem poles and Tlingit heritage take center stage, and Skagway, a living remnant of the gold rush era, with historic wooden buildings and the scenic White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad. — Bailey Berg, AFAR Media, 28 Jan. 2026

Words on love and politics are whispered and rapped in English, Spanish, Yupik, and Tlingit, and a cast of guest vocalists rotate in and out, yet the mood never breaks. — Petala Ironcloud, Pitchfork, 20 Jan. 2026

To protect the totem poles that remained, elders from Tlingit villages on Tongass Island and Village Island and a Haida village on Prince of Wales Island allowed theirs to be moved. — Eve Chen, USA Today, 9 Jan. 2026

Kids are used to pass drugs and for sacrifices in the Tlingit Indian culture. — Bjorn Dihle, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2025

While there, try to decipher the 3,000-year-old messages left by the Tlingit people at Petroglyph Beach. — AFAR Media, 30 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Tlingit łi·ngít human being

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined at sense 1