American Indian

noun

plural American Indians

: a member of any of the Indigenous peoples of the western hemisphere except often certain peoples (such as the Yupik and Inuit) who live in arctic regions

especially : an American Indian of North America and especially the U.S. compare native american

American Indian adjective

Examples of American Indian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There are cowboys like Lefty Ledbetter (Paul Walter Hauser), the good-natured ranch hand who teams up with Penny Jo, and Native Americans like Ghost Eye (Zahn McClarnon), who runs a militant organization in the tradition of the American Indian Movement. —Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025

The event will take place 12:30 to 8 p.m. at the American Indian Magnet School at 1075 E. Third St. in St. Paul. —Imani Cruzen, Twin Cities, 13 Aug. 2025

The Trump administration's review will initially focus on eight museums, including the Museums of American History, African American History and Culture and Natural History, and the Museum of the American Indian. —Zac Anderson, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025

The National Museum of American History, the National Museum of Natural History, the National Museum of African-American History and Culture, and the National Museum of the American Indian are among the institutions being monitored. —Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1650, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for American Indian

• amerindian

Kids Definition

American Indian

noun

: a member of any of the Indigenous peoples of the western hemisphere except often certain peoples (as the Yupik and Inuit) who live in arctic regions

especially : an American Indian of North America and especially the U.S.

American Indian adjective