Maori
noun
a member of the Native Polynesian population of New Zealand.
Maori
American
[mah-aw-ree, -oh-ree, mau-ree, mah-ree]
/ ˈmɑ ɔ ri, -oʊ ri, ˈmaʊ ri, ˈmɑ ri /
noun
-
Maoris,
plural
-
Maori
plural
-
a member of the Native Polynesian population of New Zealand.
-
a Polynesian language, the language of the Maoris.
adjective
Māori
British
/ ˈmaʊrɪ /
noun
-
a member of the people living in New Zealand and the Cook Islands since before the arrival of European settlers. They are descended from Polynesian voyagers who migrated in successive waves from the ninth century onwards
-
the language of this people, belonging to the Malayo-Polynesian family
adjective
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It was introduced in response to a lawsuit filed by Indigenous Maori climate activist Michael Smith against six prominent New Zealand companies for their contribution to environmental harm linked to climate change.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
Keri Hulme shapes her novel out of all three of their voices, a kind of collective poetry of Maori and Celtic mythology.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
As was the case six years ago, the response to the traditional Maori challenge was the prelude to a memorable win -- just England's ninth in 47 Tests against the All Blacks spanning 120 years.
From Barron's ● Nov. 16, 2025
Townsend now has to prepare for Saturday's meeting with the Maori All Blacks without his 25-times capped first-choice scrum-half.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2025
Worsley gave a lecture on New Zealand and taught several volunteers the Maori war dance, the haka.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
“It’s an opportunity for our chefs to share a thoughtful expression of place, often drawing inspiration from Northland’s rich coastal environment and Māori culinary traditions,” says JT Mulry, Culinary Director at Rosewood Kauri Cliffs.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026
Located at the bottom of the world, it’s hard to imagine a place more closely connected to nature, where New Zealand’s Māori communities have long lived in symbiosis with the land.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026
A statement released after the meeting from the Kīngitanga said the Māori queen discussed a range of global topics with Prince William.
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
But as Te Haumihiata Mason, a translator working in Māori, points out to Mr. Hahn, in New Zealand few plants bud in May, so an inelastic approach here risks puzzling the audience.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026
Mount Maunganui is a sacred Māori site and one of the most popular campgrounds in New Zealand.
From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2026
As soon as the Maoris were back to their full compliment, they went to wiping out the advantage the Scots had built.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2025
At the start of each game, the players do a version of the “haka,” an indigenous dance of the Maoris.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2018
Besides the prominence of the Union Jack, many criticise their flag for making no nod to indigenous Maoris.
From Economist ● Oct. 30, 2014
Once the domain of sailors and Maoris and now a staple for younger Americans of all ethnicities and professions, tattoos are trickling up to the older set.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 21, 2013
In the early 1800s, European traders, missionaries, and whalers began to visit New Zealand, which had been occupied 600 years previously by Polynesian farmers and fishermen known as Maoris.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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