plural Creoles
1
: a person who has African and French or Spanish ancestors
especially
: such a person who lives in the West Indies
2
: a person whose ancestors were some of the first people from France or Spain to live in the southeastern U.S.
Note: Creoles continue to have the same language and culture as their French or Spanish ancestors.
3
a
: a language that is based on French and that uses words from African languages
Some people in Louisiana speak Creole.
Haitian Creole [=a type of Creole spoken in Haiti]
b
linguistics
: a language that is based on one language but that has some words from another language
Cite this Entry
“Creole.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/Creole. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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