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

The probe revealed that more than 500 American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian children's deaths occurred at 19 of the federal Indian boarding schools, and identified 53 marked and unmarked burial sites at school sites nationwide. —Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 25 Oct. 2024

The American Indian Movement, which flourished around the same time, fought publicly and militantly for unfulfilled treaty rights and the reclamation of tribal lands. —Tim Madigan, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024

Attorney Richard West, a citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma and founding director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, offers a uniquely informed perspective on the history of NAGPRA and its relationships with museums. —Patricia Failing, ARTnews.com, 21 Oct. 2024

But there was no change reported for middle school students, who less commonly vape or smoke or use other products, Current use of tobacco fell among girls and Hispanic students, but rose among American Indian or Alaska Native students. —TIME, 18 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1650, in the meaning defined above

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