Garifuna

noun

Ga·​ri·​fu·​na ˌgär-ē-ˈfü-nə How to pronounce Garifuna (audio)
1
plural Garifuna or Garifunas : a member of a people of African and Caribbean Indigenous descent that live mainly along the Caribbean coast of northern Central America
2
: the Arawakan language containing many Cariban elements that is spoken by the Garifunas

Examples of Garifuna in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Locals from Sandy Bay, St. Vincent, once an enclave of Garifuna, wait for the opening of a new Indigenous cultural center. Seth Berry, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 Oct. 2024 Southern Belize is home to coastal towns with a vibrant Garifuna culture, like the scrappy port town Dangriga, and up-and-coming tourist towns, like Hopkins Village and Placencia. Graham Averill, Outside Online, 7 May 2022 In Roatán, one of the Bay Islands of Honduras, guests can tour a wildlife preserve, learn about the Garifuna culture, relax in an overwater bungalow, or sample chocolate and local rum. Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 10 July 2024 Courtesy Make The Road New York The IACHR has documented the cases of dozens of Garifuna activists who have vanished or been killed since 2019. Nicole Acevedo, NBC News, 25 June 2024 During a lighthearted stop of what proved to be a controversial Caribbean tour for Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee in March 2022, William and Kate showed off their moves during a traditional Garifuna festival in Belize. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 20 Nov. 2023 Gutierrez writes about the Caribbean coasts of Central America, where the Garifuna use plantains, coconut milk and allspice to flavor many dishes. G. Daniela Galarza, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2023 From there, Garifuna people began migrating to other nearby countries. Chelsea Hylton, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2023 Belizean Dreams Resort, Hopkins This intimate beachfront resort is located in Hopkins, a friendly southern Belize fishing village considered to be the center of the Garifuna culture. Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 10 June 2023

Word History

Etymology

Garifuna garífuna, a self-designation; akin to Taino caribe, caribi Carib, Island Carib (Arawakan language of the Lesser Antilles) Callípona, a self-designation, Guianan Carib kariʔna Carib, person

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of Garifuna was in 1897

Dictionary Entries Near Garifuna

Cite this Entry

“Garifuna.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Garifuna. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!