Aztec
Americannoun
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Aztecs
plural
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a member of a Nahuatl-speaking state in central Mexico that was conquered by Cortés in 1521.
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Also called classical Nahuatl. the variety of Nahuatl that served as the medium of Aztec civilization, aboriginally written in a chiefly pictographic script.
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the Nahuatl language.
noun
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a member of a Mexican Indian people who established a great empire, centred on the valley of Mexico, that was overthrown by Cortés and his followers in the early 16th century
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the language of the Aztecs See also Nahuatl
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of Aztec
1780–90; < Spanish azteca < Nahuatl aztēcah, plural of aztēcatl person from Aztlān, the legendary place of origin of the Aztecs
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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Appeared in the August 29, 2026, print edition as 'In Search of Mexico’s Lost Aztec World'.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
To me, the most evocative Aztec sites are the offbeat relics that now lie underground along Guatemala Street near the Templo Mayor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Today, the excavated base of the Templo Mayor, the step pyramid topped with altars to the Aztec gods of war and rain, is an open-air archaeological site.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
At the Spanish Cultural Center, a guard pointed me downstairs to the Calmécac, a school for Aztec nobility.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
The calendar had a picture of a colorful Aztec warrior standing guard over an Aztec princess whose eyes were closed; both were dressed in plumed and colorful costumes.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
“Insects were valued by the Aztecs for their high protein content,” explains Elena Reygadas, Rosetta’s owner and head chef.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
The advanced terrace system made the Aztecs self-sufficient in food, he says, “allowing them to create their empire.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
The Teotihuacán is an ancient city, home to massive pyramids, and predates the Aztecs.
From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026
However, once Hernán Cortés triumphed, the conquistadors went from waging war — vanquishing the Aztecs — to the project of subjugating Indigenous holdouts and building a self-sustaining territory loyal to the crown.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 23, 2026
The Aztecs had monumental architecture, elaborate record-keeping, exquisite art and an astronomical calendar superior to that of any in Europe.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
