Inuit

American  

[in-oo-it, -yoo-] / ˈɪn u ɪt, -yu- /

Or Innuit

noun

Inuits plural

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.

---

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

---

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

He wants Greenland to leave the Kingdom of Denmark and enter into a form of free-association agreement with the U.S. that protects it militarily and recognizes the rights of its Inuit people.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 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

Chemnitz met with AFP for an interview at the Nuuk cultural centre, where exhibits highlighted Inuit culture and the role of women in Greenlandic society in honour of International Women's Day on March 8.

From Barron's • Mar. 8, 2026

Most of the roughly 56,000 citizens are Greenlandic Inuit, though all residents are considered citizens of Denmark.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 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