plural Pawnee or Pawnees
: a member of an Indigenous people living in east-central Nebraska during the first half of the 19th century
Note: Current members of the Pawnee live as part of the federally recognized Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma.
Examples of Pawnee in a Sentence
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The Comanche, Kiowa, Tonkawa, Pawnee, Apache, Caddo, and Wichita and Affiliated tribes all have historical roots in North Texas.
—
Dallas Morning News, 7 Apr. 2026
Rael-Gálvez later learned that panana means Pawnee.
—Geraldo Cadava, New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2026
Galentine's Day got its start in the sitcom 'Parks and Recreation,' set in the fictional Pawnee, Indiana.
—Jenny Porter Tilley, IndyStar, 13 Feb. 2026
In the Pawnee National Grassland of far northeastern Colorado are twin mounds that rise 300 feet above the prairie, dominating the view for miles.
—R. Scott Rappold, Denver Post, 12 Jan. 2026
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Dallas Morning News, 7 Apr. 2026
Rael-Gálvez later learned that panana means Pawnee.
—Geraldo Cadava, New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2026
Galentine's Day got its start in the sitcom 'Parks and Recreation,' set in the fictional Pawnee, Indiana.
—Jenny Porter Tilley, IndyStar, 13 Feb. 2026
In the Pawnee National Grassland of far northeastern Colorado are twin mounds that rise 300 feet above the prairie, dominating the view for miles.
—R. Scott Rappold, Denver Post, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for Pawnee
Cite this Entry
“Pawnee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Pawnee. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Pawnee
noun
Paw·nee
pȯ-ˈnē 
pä-
: a member of an Indigenous people originally of Nebraska and Kansas
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