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.

---

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

---

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

See Examples For:

Inuit Inuits

To choose the name, the researchers worked with Jarloo Kiguktak, an Inuit Elder and former mayor of Grise Fiord, the northernmost Inuit community in Canada.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 24, 2026

But the film doubles as a fascinating study of humans’ engagement with their environment, exploring not-always-predictable differences between the approach of the local Inuit population—hunters by tradition—and nonindigenous people with particular ideas about conservation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 10, 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

Most of the roughly 56,000 citizens are Greenlandic Inuit, though all residents are considered citizens of Denmark.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 22, 2026

Two years later, as the Parks Canada team continued its search for the second missing vessel, another Inuit person would play a key role in a second great discovery.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

As a proportion of males between the ages of 18 and 60, this equates to an estimated 2% of Chukchi, 1.4% of Russian Inuits, 1.32% of Koryaks and 0.8% of Khanty.

From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2026

He had brought smallpox with him, and the disease raced around the island, killing Inuits and Europeans alike.

From Science Magazine ● Sep. 26, 2023

On April 6, 1909, American explorers Robert E. Peary and Matthew A. Henson and four Inuits became the first men to reach the North Pole.

From Washington Times ● Apr. 6, 2021

Based on the novel of the same name by Dan Simmons, the 10-episode series features ice, Inuits, hubris, hunger and a mysterious polar predator.

From New York Times ● Jan. 5, 2018

Urio showed more affection towards his child, with whom he rubbed cheeks in the manner peculiar to the Inuits.

From The Little Gleaner, Vol. X. A Monthly Magazine for the Young by Various