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• Sherpa
  Sherpa

  noun

  a member of a people of Tibetan descent living in the Nepalese Himalayas, who often serve as porters on mountain-climbing expeditions.
• sherpa
  sherpa

  noun

  an official who makes preparations for or assists a government representative or important delegate at a summit meeting or conference

Sherpa

American  

[shur-puh] / ˈʃɜr pə /

noun

• Sherpas,
  plural
• Sherpa
  plural

1. a member of a people of Tibetan descent living in the Nepalese Himalayas, who often serve as porters on mountain-climbing expeditions.

2. a Tibetic language spoken by the Sherpa.

3. Sometimes sherpa an expert chosen by a chief executive to assist in preparations for a summit meeting.

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Sherpa ¹ British  

/ ˈʃɜːpə /

noun

1. a member of a people of Mongolian origin living on the southern slopes of the Himalayas in Nepal, noted as mountaineers

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sherpa ² British  

/ ˈʃɜːpə /

noun

1. an official who makes preparations for or assists a government representative or important delegate at a summit meeting or conference

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Sherpa
  plural
• Sherpas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Sherpa

First recorded in 1840–50; from Sherpa sharpa, equiavalent to shar “east” + pa “people” (referring to the origin of this people in eastern Tibet)

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Sherpa sherpa Sherpas

Nepali glaciologist Tenzing Chogyal Sherpa said wealthy industrialised countries driving global emissions should accept their role.

From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026

“When I first went to Nepal I fell in love with Sherpa culture and the yaks,” Higdon said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

"This is an unthinkable loss for our mountaineering community and for the nation," Fur Gelje Sherpa, the President of Nepal's mountaineering association posted on social media.

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

The drones make a grueling job a little bit easier by delivering a hot breakfast in minutes to Sherpa climbers who set out in the middle of the night with just headlamps to guide them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

The previous year a guided American expedition had hired a Sherpa named Kami Rita as a cook boy.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

Her final garment is a three-piece set combining a lycra sports bra with a mesh cutout, a layered lace tennis skirt and a cropped sherpa jacket.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2026

A fluffy, faux-wool sherpa underside sits next to the skin.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026

Another Nepali sherpa, Kami Rita, holds the record for making the most number of Everest summits at 30, and is also currently on the mountain attempting to set a new record.

From BBC ● May 18, 2025

They have been, in some ways, a sherpa for us, to guide us through the evolution of humanity.

From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2024

“I’m just the lowly governor today. I’m the sherpa, as I like to say.”

From New York Times ● Jan. 22, 2024

“The Sherpas are patient, kind and they take life in the moment.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

And then there are the Sherpas — Namgyal and his wife, Pasang, a former Buddhist nun, who hail from the Khumbu region of Nepal and live on the property with Higdon.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

Appeared in the January 26, 2026, print edition as 'Ro and Our New Health Sherpas'.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 25, 2026

Nima is hoping to bring some of that attention back to the Sherpas.

From NewsForKids.net ● Oct. 24, 2024

For the next two hours, Beidleman, Groom, the two Sherpas, and the seven clients staggered blindly around in the storm, growing ever more exhausted and hypothermic, hoping to blunder across the camp.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer