Kiwanis

[ki-wah-nis]

noun

an organization founded in 1915 for the promulgation of higher ideals in business, industrial, and professional life.

Origin of Kiwanis

allegedly < American Indian: to make oneself known

Related formsKi·wa·ni·an, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for kiwanis

Contemporary Examples of kiwanis

He told me how he'd been signing up thousands of members all over the South at Kiwanis, Rotary, and Farm Bureau lunches.
Don't Buy Haley Barbour's Myth
Harold Evans
December 20, 2010

British Dictionary definitions for kiwanis

Kiwanis

noun

a North American organization of men's clubs founded in 1915 to promote community service

Derived FormsKiwanian, noun

Word Origin for Kiwanis

C20: alleged to be from an American Indian language: to make oneself known

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

Word Origin and History for kiwanis

Kiwanis

businessmen's and professionals' society, formed in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., in 1915, the name is of obscure meaning.