Aztec

noun

Az·​tec ˈaz-ˌtek 

1

a

: a member of a Nahuatl-speaking people that founded the Mexican empire conquered by Cortes in 1519

b

: a member of any people under Aztec influence

2

: nahuatl

Aztecan

ˈaz-ˌte-kən 

ˌaz-ˈte-

adjective

Examples of Aztec in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Last week at the Aztec Invitational, Feyerabend scored 5,828 points. — Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026

Afternoon practices in unseasonable 90-degree heat on the Aztec Sports Deck had been brutal. — Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026

The Mexico kit showcased a Mesoamerican Aztec print, prominently featuring a sun stone in a dark green and black emblematic colorway, accented with white and red details, just like the Mexican flag. — Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2026

Hernán Cortés and his few hundred Spanish soldiers did not, despite the legend, by themselves conquer the Aztec Empire, whose population numbered in the millions. — David A. Bell, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Spanish azteca, from Nahuatl aztēcah, plural of aztēcatl

First Known Use

1810, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for Aztec

• breakneck
• codec
• exec
• mixtec
• paycheck
• pinchbeck
• recheck
• redneck
• toltec
• beck
• breck
• check

Kids Definition

Aztec

noun

Az·​tec ˈaz-ˌtek 

: a member of an Indigenous people that ruled a large empire in Mexico in the 15th-16th centuries