Aztec

American  

[az-tek] / ˈæz tɛk /

noun

1. a member of a Nahuatl-speaking state in central Mexico that was conquered by Cortés in 1521.

2. Also called classical Nahuatl.  the variety of Nahuatl that served as the medium of Aztec civilization, aboriginally written in a chiefly pictographic script.

3. the Nahuatl language.

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Aztec British  

/ ˈæztɛk /

noun

1. 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

2. the language of the Aztecs See also Nahuatl

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Aztecs, their civilization, or their language

Other Word Forms

• Aztecan
  adjective
• post-Aztec
  adjective

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

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

Perhaps less familiar to most readers but no less absorbing is the book’s treatment of colonial Spanish missionaries’ encounter with Aztec rituals.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 25, 2026

Named Coatlicue, after a goddess in Aztec mythology representing the source of power and life, the computer will have a processing capacity of 314 petaflops.

From Barron's • Nov. 26, 2025

“We always wanted to see el penacho de Moctezuma,” said Gema Vargas, referring to the feathered headdress widely attributed to the legendary Aztec emperor.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 24, 2025

The Aztec and Inca Empires were formed by 15th-century conquests, before Europeans arrived, but we know much about their formation from Indian oral histories transcribed by early Spanish settlers.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond