Seminole

American  

[sem-uh-nohl] / ˈsɛm əˌnoʊl /

noun

plural

Seminoles,

plural

Seminole

1. a member of any of several groupings of North American Indians comprising emigrants from the Creek Confederacy territories to Florida or their descendants in Florida and Oklahoma, especially the culturally conservative present-day Florida Indians.

2. either of the Muskogean languages spoken by the Seminoles, comprising Mikasuki and the Florida or Seminole dialect of Creek.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Seminoles or their languages.

Seminole British  

/ ˈsɛmɪˌnəʊl /

noun

1. a member of a North American Indian people consisting of Creeks who moved into Florida in the 18th century

2. the language of this people, belonging to the Muskhogean family

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Etymology

Origin of Seminole

First recorded in 1760–70; earlier Seminolie, from Creek simanó·li “wild, runaway,” alteration of earlier and dialectal simaló·ni, from Colonial Spanish cimarrón; see maroon ²

Example Sentences

Two people were detained in connection with the incident, and an investigation was ongoing, the Seminole Police Department told The Times earlier this week.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

“The Orchid Thief” took on a typically left-field Orlean subject: the trial of a Florida horticulturalist accused of stealing endangered species from a swamp in the Seminole Indian reserve.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025

It spread to Mexico when an unvaccinated Mennonite child returned home after visiting family in Seminole.

From Salon • Aug. 26, 2025

The neighbouring three rural counties decided to close their underused vaccine clinics and send more staff to hard-hit Seminole.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2025

When everything had been sold or given away, Milton drove my grandparents’ remaining belongings in a rented truck the twelve blocks to Seminole.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides