pueblo

¹ American  

[pweb-loh, pwe-blaw] / ˈpwɛb loʊ, ˈpwɛ βlɔ /

noun

plural

pueblos

1. a communal structure for multiple dwelling and defensive purposes of certain agricultural Indians of the southwestern United States: built of adobe or stone, typically many-storied and terraced, the structures were often placed against cliff walls, with entry through the roof by ladder.

2. (initial capital letter) a member of a group of Indian peoples living in pueblo villages in New Mexico and Arizona since prehistoric times.

3. an Indian village.

4. (in Spanish America) a town or village.

5. (in the Philippines) a town or a township.

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Pueblo ² American  

[pweb-loh] / ˈpwɛb loʊ /

noun

1. a city in central Colorado.

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pueblo ¹ British  

/ ˈpweβlo, ˈpwɛbləʊ /

noun

1. a communal village, built by certain Indians of the southwestern US and parts of Latin America, consisting of one or more flat-roofed stone or adobe houses

2. (in Spanish America) a village or town

3. (in the Philippines) a town or township

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Pueblo ² British  

/ ˈpwɛbləʊ /

noun

1. a member of any of the North American Indian peoples who live in pueblos, including the Tanoans, Zuñi, and Hopi

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Pueblo ³ British  

/ ˈpwɛbləʊ /

noun

1. a city in Colorado: a centre of the steel industry. Pop: 103 648 (2003 est)

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Other Word Forms

• prepueblo adjective

Etymology

Origin of pueblo

An Americanism dating back to 1800–10; from Colonial Spanish; Spanish: “town,” from Latin populus “community, people, nation”; cf. people ( def. )

Explanation

If your home is in a pueblo, you probably live in the southwestern part of the United States, in a community of adobe houses. This noun of Spanish origin refers to a structure and institution of Native American origin: a communal village consisting of contiguous, multistory flat-roofed houses. Spanish explorers of the American Southwest were the first to use the word pueblo. The ultimate root, populus, is Latin and is related to population and people. Today, the state of New Mexico is home to the greatest number of pueblos still in use.

Example Sentences

One is the charming pueblo in foothills lined with neat rows of agave cactus.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026

Hackman and Arakawa “were not interested in re-creating native pueblo architecture,” he added.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 19, 2026

He decided to leave his pueblo a few months ago.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 18, 2026

At Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico, voting has provided Native Americans with a path to power amid the political rise of pueblo member Deb Haaland.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 1, 2024

“Voz del pueblo, voz del cielo,” Dedd would quote.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez