Ojibwe

American  

[oh-jib-wey, -wuh] / oʊˈdʒɪb weɪ, -wə /

Also Ojibwa,

noun

• Ojibwes,
  plural
• Ojibwe
  plural

1. a member of a large tribe of North American Indians found in Canada and the United States, principally in the region around Lakes Huron and Superior but extending as far west as Saskatchewan and North Dakota.

2. Also called Ojibwemowin.  an Algonquian language used by the Ojibwe, Algonquin, and Ottawa peoples.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Ojibwe or their language.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Ojibwe
  plural
• Ojibwes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Ojibwe

An Americanism dating back to 1665–75; from Ojibwe očipwe·, a self-designation of uncertain meaning

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Ojibwe

To an Ojibwe citizen born in Minneapolis, according to his sister, who saw his arrest.

From Slate ● Feb. 12, 2026

Here her classical marble sculptures, “Hiawatha” and “Minnehaha,” from 1868, honor her Ojibwe roots.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 17, 2026

It was there, in an Ojibwe community in northern Wisconsin, that Pember’s mother, Bernice Rabideaux, was born a century ago.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2025

Sea caves, historic lighthouses and beautiful scenery await, as does a chance to learn about the culture of the region’s first inhabitants, the Ojibwe.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 3, 2024

His real name is Ralph, but his parents nicknamed him in Ojibwe after Animal, from the Muppets, because he’s been pounding and tapping everything in reach since he was born.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith