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:
And in New Zealand, the government changed the law to block a lawsuit brought by Maori activist Mike Smith against six domestic companies, but he has vowed to continue the fight.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
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
When a psychologically damaged mute boy named Simon breaks into her tower, she is pulled into his life as well as that of his Maori foster father, Joe.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
White was given the news at the Scotland training camp in Whangarei, New Zealand, where he was preparing to face the Maori All Blacks, Fiji and Samoa this summer.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2025
On November 19 of that year, a ship carrying 500 Maori armed with guns, clubs, and axes arrived, followed on December 5 by a shipload of 400 more Maori.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Shane Graham, chief executive of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rārua, a Māori authority, said the return was a momentous occasion.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
“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
New Zealand’s Māori people often say that food is a feeling, a memory.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026
Earlier this week, the Māori queen was also welcomed by Prince William to Windsor Castle.
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
Shaun Stevenson's try put the Maoris ahead but Keith Earls' quick lineout set up a reply by Jordan Larmour.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2022
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
The Maoris, New Zealand’s first Sapiens colonisers, reached the islands about 800 years ago.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
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