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Mayan

American  
[mah-yuhn] / ˈmɑ jən /

adjective

  1. of or relating to the Maya, their culture, or their languages.


noun

Mayans plural
  1. a member of the Mayan tribe.

  2. a group of languages spoken by the Mayas in southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize, including Yucatec, Quiché, and Huastec.

Mayan British  
/ ˈmaɪən /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Maya or any of their languages

"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

noun

  1. a family of Central American Indian languages, including Maya, possibly a member of the Penutian phylum

  2. another name for a Maya 2

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of Mayan

First recorded in 1885–90; May(a) + -an

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:

The venue has grown larger and bolder with each year, beginning at the Mayan Theater in 2023.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 11, 2026

Once-common literary references to Shakespeare or Dickens have now become as obscure in the common culture as so many Mayan inscriptions.

From Salon Apr. 19, 2026

Why does the Mayan world remain so alien, notwithstanding the extraordinary work of Mr. Stuart and his peers?

From The Wall Street Journal Mar. 20, 2026

Plan Kukulkan, named after the serpent deity of the Mayan civilization, covers the host cities as well as nearby tourist destinations.

From Barron's Mar. 6, 2026

In fact, the cultivation of corn was at the core of Mayan culture.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Chocolate itself first began as Xocolatl, or “bitter water,” a spiced drink made from ground cacao beans, chiles and spices that originated with the Aztecs and Mayans.

From Salon Feb. 17, 2025

Her research spanned “thousands of years of history” as she drew inspiration from cultures including the Roman and Byzantine Empires and the Mayans.

From BBC Aug. 3, 2024

Red has been used to adorn the body in many cultures, including the ancient Egyptians, Mayans, Roman generals and during the Renaissance.

From Seattle Times Feb. 7, 2024

A whole network of Konstanz researchers dedicated themselves to unravelling the mystery, including Bernhard Schink, Nicolai Müller, David Schleheck, Jennifer Fleming and Olga Mayans.

From Science Daily Nov. 10, 2023

The end of their political power in the region did not mean the end of the Mayans themselves.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

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