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

Washington is also known for its art galleries and museums, including the Institute for American Indian Studies, which focuses on the preservation and resurgence of Indigenous lifeways. —Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 June 2025

Sold: University Archives | 29 September 2021 George Armstrong Custer (5 December 1839 – 25 June 1876) was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars. —New Atlas, 9 June 2025

The investigation confirmed the deaths of at least 973 American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian children in the boarding school system. —Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 8 June 2025

Part Cherokee, her period garb of choice is a deerskin American Indian maiden’s dress. —Tina Li, Sacbee.com, 7 June 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