Cherokee
Americannoun
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a member of an important tribe of North American Indians whose first known center was in the southern Alleghenies and who presently live in North Carolina and Oklahoma.
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the Iroquoian language of the Cherokee, written since 1822 in a syllabic script invented for the language by Sequoya.
noun
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a member of a Native American people formerly living in and around the Appalachian Mountains, now chiefly in Oklahoma; one of the Iroquois peoples
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the language of this people, belonging to the Iroquoian family
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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According to Rebecca Nagle, a citizen of Cherokee Nation, a writer and journalist, and the host of the new podcast First America, the Founding Fathers initially faced an identity crisis.
From Slate ● Jul. 3, 2026
The Jeep Cherokee SUV is returning to the U.S. this year with its first hybrid offering—and no gas-only option.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026
Her bail on the five counts totaled $5,961, according to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2026
“It takes away a little bit of the handling,” the North Canton, Ohio resident said of his 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee as it starts back up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
A few Cherokee towns that had been hit hardest by rangers responded by attacking squatter settlements, destroying several in 1776.
From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
While Stellantis used six cameras for the jury-rigged Grand Cherokees, the vehicles available for purchase in 2028 will sport 10 cameras and five radars, giving Wayve’s AI more data to rely on.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
Several Cherokees also criticized Mattel for not consulting with Mankiller’s only surviving child, Felicia Olaya, who said she was unaware of the doll until about a week before its public launch.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 4, 2023
Megan Burton, the woman on the horse, told the Quad-City Times that the portrayal was on behalf of Cherokee National Treasure, a group that honors distinguished Cherokees.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 6, 2023
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — In 1835, U.S. officials traveled to the Cherokee Nation’s capital in Georgia to sign a treaty forcing the Cherokees off their lands in the American South, opening them to white settlers.
From New York Times ● Nov. 3, 2022
To win the Cherokees to their side, British authorities provided weaponry and money, while separatist representatives threatened the towns with complete destruction if they did not remain neutral.
From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
