Turkic

American  

[tur-kik] / ˈtɜr kɪk /

noun

1. a family of closely related languages of southwest, central, and northern Asia and eastern Europe, including Turkish, Azerbaijani, Turkmen, Uzbek, Kirghiz, and Yakut. Turk, Turk.

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adjective

1. of or relating to Turkic or Turkic-speaking peoples.

Turkic British  

/ ˈtɜːkɪk /

noun

1. a branch or subfamily of the Altaic family of languages, including Turkish, Turkmen, Kirghiz, Tatar, etc, members of which are found from Turkey to NE China, esp in central Asia

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Other Word Forms

• non-Turkic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Turkic

First recorded in 1855–60; Turk + -ic

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Turkic

Uyghurs, a Turkic minority, hail from China's westernmost province, Xinjiang.

From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026

To name the largest, some estimate the Turkic Azeris make up 25% of Iran’s population and Kurds 15% or so.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026

The team believes Tugunbulak and the smaller city, Tashbulak, were bustling settlements between the 8th and 11th centuries, during the Middle Ages, when the area was controlled by a powerful Turkic dynasty.

From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2024

Indigenous people, mostly Muslim Bashkirs, a Turkic ethnic group, make up just under a third of the region’s population.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 19, 2024

Arab incursions starting in the 8th century and Turkic in the 12th were followed by those of European traders, beginning in the late 15th century.

From The 2008 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency