Inuit

or In·nu·it

[ in-oo-it, -yoo- ]

/ ˈɪn u ɪt, -yu- /

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noun, plural In·u·its, (especially collectively) In·u·it for 1.

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

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

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Also called Inupik.

Origin of Inuit

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

usage note for Inuit

See Eskimo, Indian.

Words nearby Inuit

intussuscept, intussusception, intwine, intwist, in two shakes, Inuit, Inuk, inukshuk, Inuktitut, inulase, inulin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Inuit in a sentence

She modeled her lightweight, 11-inch-tall, moose-hide Klondike after the footwear their Inuit friends wore.
Four Cold-Weather Boots That Will Keep You Warm|Stephanie Pearson|March 11, 2021|Outside Online
While staying with an Inuit family in a village above the Arctic Circle, I never once saw an adult argue with a child.
I Was Constantly Arguing With My Child. Then I Learned the “TEAM” Method of Calmer Parenting|Michaeleen Doucleff|March 6, 2021|Time
Many Inuit parents see arguing with children as silly and a waste of time, interpreter Elizabeth Tegumiar explained further.
I Was Constantly Arguing With My Child. Then I Learned the “TEAM” Method of Calmer Parenting|Michaeleen Doucleff|March 6, 2021|Time
Part memoir, part Inuit folklore, it’s been called “magic realism,” and that’s probably not an accurate label either, but it’s as close as one can get to a traditional name for this narrative of a girl growing up in Nunavut.
The perfect science fiction, fantasy and genre-bending tales for the chilly days ahead|Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Lavie Tidhar|December 18, 2020|Washington Post

Ada Delutuk was born in 1898, 60 years before Alaska became the 49th state, and grew up in the Inuit settlement of Spruce Creek, Alaska.
The Woman Who Survived Two Years Alone in the Arctic|Fiona Zublin|December 9, 2020|Ozy
Try explaining what a cucumber tastes like to a 19th century Inuit.
Eben Alexander Has a GPS for Heaven|Patricia Pearson|October 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Discovered frozen in ice by two Inuit waterbenders, they begin a journey to help him access his full powers as avatar.
‘Game of Thrones’ Withdrawal? Watch Nickelodeon’s Fantasy Epic ‘The Legend of Korra’|David Levesley|July 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The commenter said Dodson is not a full-blooded member of any tribe and is in fact one-quarter Aleut, not Inuit.
Dan Snyder's Indian Chief Is Neither|Michael Tomasky|June 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Not that Western civilization has never embraced the mythical Inuit practice of leaving the old out on an ice floe.
The Great Untapped 80-Something Market|Liz Smith|March 16, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Itajung became a highly respected man, for he was by far the best whaler in all the Inuit tribe.
A Treasury of Eskimo Tales|Clara Kern Bayliss
They were much taller than the Inuit and had very long legs and arms, but their eyes were not as good.
A Treasury of Eskimo Tales|Clara Kern Bayliss
They were on good terms with the Inuit and shared the same hunting ground, but lived in separate villages.
A Treasury of Eskimo Tales|Clara Kern Bayliss
In days of old an enormous man lived with other members of the Inuit tribe in a village beside a large inlet.
A Treasury of Eskimo Tales|Clara Kern Bayliss
Their strength was so great that they could hold a harpooned walrus as easily as the Inuit could hold a seal.
A Treasury of Eskimo Tales|Clara Kern Bayliss

British Dictionary definitions for Inuit

Inuit

Innuit

/ (ˈɪnjuːɪt) /

noun plural -it or -its

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 AmericaCompare Yupik

the language of these peoples; Inuktitut

Word Origin for Inuit

from Inuktitut inuit the people, pl of inuk a man

undefined Inuit

See Eskimo

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012