Aztec
Americannoun
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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.
See Examples For:
The victory revived national optimism ahead of Sunday’s match in Mexico City’s hulking Aztec Stadium, dubbed by FIFA’s chief “the cathedral of world soccer” after hosting three World Cups and soccer deities like Brazil’s Pelé.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
A UFW banner emblazoned with the group’s famous black Aztec eagle logo hangs in the center of the picture, making Chávez and Huerta look like equals.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2026
The year 2021 marked the 500th anniversary of the fall of Tenochtitlán, the site of modern-day Mexico City and the capital of the Aztec empire, at the hands of Hernán Cortés and his small army.
From BBC ● Mar. 17, 2026
From precolonial Mexico we discover obsidian mirrors used for divination in Mayan and Aztec ceremonies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026
“Along with most of the other Aztec emperors. And the Tlatocan.”
From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia
The Teotihuacán is an ancient city, home to massive pyramids, and predates the Aztecs.
From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026
After the defeat of the Aztecs in 1521, Malinche married one of Cortés’ captains, Juan Jaramillo, and they had a daughter, María.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 25, 2026
After the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs, Mexico’s European overlords used its silver and its agricultural wealth to nourish their global enterprises.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 2025
Although the Aztecs fought hard to close the gap, the Bruins maintained control, ending the quarter with a 58–38 lead.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2025
For example, a smallpox epidemic devastated the Aztecs after the failure of the first Spanish attack in 1520 and killed Cuitlahuac, the Aztec emperor who briefly succeeded Montezuma.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
