Apache

noun

plural Apache or Apaches ə-ˈpa-chēz How to pronounce Apache (audio)
-ˈpash,
-ˈpa-shəz
1
: a member of a group of Indigenous peoples of the southwestern U.S.
2
: any of the Athabascan languages of the Apache people
3
not capitalized [French, from Apache Apache Indian]
a
: a member of a gang of criminals especially in Paris
b
Apachean adjective or noun

Examples of Apache in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Within a year, Texas authorities pinned the crime on a closeted Apache man, James Harry Reyos, even though Reyos had an alibi for the night of the killing and wasn’t in Odessa or even in Texas at the time of Father Patrick Ryan’s slaying. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 21 June 2025 Hunt served in the military from 2004 to 2012 and flew Apache helicopters. Amalia Huot-Marchand, The Hill, 21 June 2025 Frigates will patrol the North Sea, F-35 fighter jets and Apache helicopters will take to the skies and air defense systems will be on alert. Mike Corder, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025 Her body was found behind a home in Apache Junction, Arizona, on August 6. Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for Apache

Word History

Etymology

American Spanish, perhaps from Zuni ʔa·paču Navajo, Apachean

First Known Use

1703, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Apache was in 1703

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Apache.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Apache. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

Apache

noun
plural Apache or Apaches
: a member of a group of Indigenous peoples of the southwestern U.S.
also : any of the languages of the Apache people

More from Merriam-Webster on Apache

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