Tutsi

noun

Tut·​si ˈtü-sē How to pronounce Tutsi (audio) ˈtüt- How to pronounce Tutsi (audio)
plural Tutsi or Tutsis
: a member of a people of Rwanda and Burundi probably of Nilotic origin

Examples of Tutsi in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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It was established to remember members of the Tutsi community, an African ethnic group, who were killed or injured in the atrocities. Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025 In the 100 days that followed, Hutu extremists slaughtered and raped hundreds of thousands of minority Tutsi and Hutu moderates. John Annese, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2025 Speaking in French, Swahili and Kinyarwanda — the language of Rwanda and of many Congolese Hutu and Tutsi — the leaders vowed to march on Kinshasa. Emmet Livingstone, The Dial, 20 Mar. 2025 Advertisement Much like how Russia has justified the occupation of Donbas, Rwanda claims to be protecting an ethnic minority—in this case, the Tutsi community, which lives in both countries. Jason K. Stearns, TIME, 19 Mar. 2025 Between 500,000 to 800,000 people belonging to the Tutsi minority ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Twa were killed by armed Hutu militias over the course of 100 days between April 7 and July 15, 1994. Zac Ntim, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2025 The dance’s name comes from an alternate name for the Tutsi group native to Rwanda, which performs elaborate dances, while the dance itself evolved from the twist. Elie Levine, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025 Enraged, gangs of Hutu extremists began killing Tutsi, backed by the army and police. Rodney Muhumuza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2024 Prior to colonization in 1919, Hutus and Tutsi were impermanent economic class categories, likely determined by the number of cattle individuals owned. Anneliese M. Schenk-Day, The Conversation, 5 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Tutsi was in 1950

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Cite this Entry

“Tutsi.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Tutsi. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

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