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

Efforts to recognize Native Americans began with American Indian Day in 1915, according to the Library of Congress. —Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 5 Nov. 2024

November marks Native American Heritage Month, also known as National American Indian Heritage Month. —Lizz Schumer, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024

Latino, Black, American Indian and Alaska Native, historically underrepresented groups constitute 54% of the system’s 460,000 students. —Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024

The increase in autism was greater among Black, Asian, Hispanic and American Indian and Alaska Native children compared with white children. —Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY, 30 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