Uyghur

American  

[wee-goor] / ˈwi gʊər /

(Older Spelling) Uighur,

noun

• Uyghurs,
  plural
• Uyghur
  plural

1. a member of a predominantly Muslim Turkic-speaking people, dominant in Mongolia and eastern Turkestan from the 8th to 12th centuries a.d., and now living in northwestern China, mainly in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

2. the Turkic language of the Uyghurs.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Uyghurs or their language.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Uyghurian
  adjective
• Uyghuric
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• Uyghur
  plural
• Uyghurs
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of Uyghur

First recorded in 1840–45; from Uyghur; a self-designation of the Uyghur people

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Uyghur Uyghurs

America’s Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act requires companies to establish that goods imported from China weren’t made with forced labor from Xinjiang.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

In an interview with the New York Times, family friend Adam Nijiati said that Aikebaer was part of a small Uyghur community where he resided with his wife and three daughters.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

She went on to be the UN rights chief, a sensitive role in which she alienated some countries, especially China, which mauled her for reporting on Beijing's alleged abuses of the country's Uyghur minority group.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

Baroness Helena Kennedy KC was among seven parliamentarians sanctioned by China in 2021 for accusing the country of human rights abuses against the Uyghur minority.

From BBC ● Jan. 30, 2026

A Chinese citizen who fled the country after gathering evidence of alleged human-rights violations against the nation’s Uyghur population is at risk of being returned there after being detained by U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 12, 2025

While ethnic Uyghurs, most of them Muslim, make up the majority of the population in Kashgar and some other parts of Xinjiang, their language is being replaced by Chinese.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

One focus, in particular, was Uyghurs who have joined the newly formed Syrian Army.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

Beijing has been accused of detaining more than a million Uyghurs and other Muslims since 2017, part of a campaign that the United Nations previously said could constitute crimes against humanity.

From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026

The timing prompted speculation that the attack was part of a revenge plot against a country that had been a key transit hub for Uyghurs as Thailand's then-military leaders grew closer to Beijing.

From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026

At the time, China repeatedly rejected accusations that it was keeping Uyghurs in internment camps.

From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2026

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