Cherokee

American  

[cher-uh-kee, cher-uh-kee] / ˈtʃɛr əˌki, ˌtʃɛr əˈki /

noun

Cherokees, plural Cherokee plural

1. 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.

2. the Iroquoian language of the Cherokee, written since 1822 in a syllabic script invented for the language by Sequoya.

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Cherokee British  

/ ˌtʃɛrəˈkiː, ˈtʃɛrəˌkiː /

noun

1. a member of a Native American people formerly living in and around the Appalachian Mountains, now chiefly in Oklahoma; one of the Iroquois peoples

2. the language of this people, belonging to the Iroquoian family

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Cherokee
  plural
• Cherokees
  plural

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Cherokee Cherokees

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

Cross over from Cherokee County, North Carolina, to Monroe County, Tennessee, and the typical rate jumps more than 50%, despite the two counties having roughly the same predicted damages from natural disasters.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026

Just then I heard honking, and a green Jeep Cherokee wheeled into our driveway.

From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen

Earlier this year, a team of engineers flew to Detroit on a secret mission to make Jeep Grand Cherokees drive themselves.

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

In addition to having peer recovery specialists who are Cherokees, the recovery curriculum includes traditional activities like bead making, talking circles and stickball.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 13, 2023

Now, amid a growing movement across Indian Country for greater representation and sovereignty, the Cherokees are pushing to seat that delegate, 187 years later.

From New York Times ● Nov. 3, 2022

In the late 1600s, Cherokees likely first encountered the English when traders from the Virginia Colony came to the region.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz