Yanomami

noun

Ya·​no·​ma·​mi ˌyä-nō-ˈmä-mē 

variants or less commonly Yanomamo

ˌyä-nō-ˈmä-mō 

or Yanomama

ˌyä-nō-ˈmä-mə 

plural Yanomami also Yanomamis or Yanomamo or Yanomama

1

: an Indigenous people inhabiting the rainforests of southern Venezuela and northern Brazil

also : a member of the Yanomami people

2

: the family of four closely related languages spoken by the Yanomami

Examples of Yanomami in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

When Brazil’s military dictatorship cuts a major highway through Yanomami land in the mid ‘70s, her images become an act of resistance and a turning point in her life, Maria Farinha Filmes said Thursday. — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 15 May 2026

Mercury contamination has become so severe in some Indigenous communities that blood mercury levels among Yanomami and Munduruku residents routinely exceed World Health Organization safety thresholds. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 13 May 2026

The documentary, released in 2021, focuses on the daily life of the Yanomami people who live in the Amazon rainforest, facing modern encroachment that threatens their way of life. — Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 21 Apr. 2026

Conflicts in recent weeks slowed the vaccination campaign in Yanomami territory, where only about half of the people have received the first shot. — Adriana Brasileiro, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025

The Chilean expat architect Downey’s work with Ecuadoran Yanomami tribal communities helped Bill see how the close video observation of radically different cultures could lead to new understandings of self and society. — David A. Ross, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2025

The Falling Sky, about the threat to the existence of the Amazonian Yanomami people, ahead of its screening in DOC NYC next month. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2024

After a January 2023 presidential decree ordered the air force to close the airspace over Yanomami territory, the situation improved significantly, authorities and Indigenous people said. — Fabiano Maisonnave, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Yanomamɨ (language of the western Yanomami) yanomamɨ, a self-designation

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Yanomami

• chamois
• clammy
• grammy
• mammy
• sami
• sammie
• sammy
• tammy

Kids Definition

Yanomami

noun

Ya·​no·​ma·​mi ˌyän-ō-ˈmäm-ē 

plural Yanomami

: a member of the Indigenous people living in the rain forests of southern Venezuela and northern Brazil