Inuit

American  

[in-oo-it, -yoo-] / ˈɪn u ɪt, -ju- /

Or Innuit

noun

Inuits, plural Inuit 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.

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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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Inuit
  plural
• Inuits
  plural

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

Aqqaluk Lynge, author and former president of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, says there is "so much distrust now".

From BBC • May 20, 2026

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

Greenlandic politician Aqqaluk Lynge, founder of the Greenlandic left-wing party Inuit Ataqatigiit, believes that Copenhagen and Nuuk need to exercise caution.

From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026

Weeks later, and more than 200 miles away, Inuit hunters found the expedition’s deserters, sick, and starving on the ice.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock