Inuit

American  

[in-oo-it, -yoo-] / ˈɪn u ɪt, -yu- /

Or Innuit

noun

plural

Inuits,

plural

Inuit

1. a member of a group of Indigenous peoples inhabiting northernmost North America from northern Alaska to eastern Canada and Greenland.

2. the language of the Inuit, a member of the Eskimo-Aleut family comprising a variety of dialects.

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Inuit British  

/ ˈɪnjuːɪt /

noun

1. any of several Native peoples of N America or Greenland, as distinguished from those from Asia or the Aleutian Islands (who are still generally referred to as Eskimos); the preferred term for Eskimo in N America Compare Yupik

2. the language of these peoples; Inuktitut

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Sensitive Note

See Eskimo, Indian.

Etymology

Origin of Inuit

First recorded in 1755–65; from Inuit: literally, “people,” plural of inuk “person”

Compare meaning

How does inuit compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Eskimo vs. Inuit

Example Sentences

Fieldwork and logistics were supported by multiple organizations in Nunavut, with permits granted by territorial authorities and the Qikiqtani Inuit Association.

From Science Daily • Mar. 24, 2026

To choose the name, the researchers worked with Jarloo Kiguktak, an Inuit Elder and former mayor of Grise Fiord, the northernmost Inuit community in Canada.

From Science Daily • Mar. 24, 2026

But the film doubles as a fascinating study of humans’ engagement with their environment, exploring not-always-predictable differences between the approach of the local Inuit population—hunters by tradition—and nonindigenous people with particular ideas about conservation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

Inuit in Canada, he said, feel the US threats against Greenland intimately due to their shared history of colonisation, as well as Trump's own comments about Canada.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

For all we knew, he could have been a small Inuit woman living in Anchorage, Alaska, who had adopted this appearance and voice to make her students more receptive to her lessons.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline