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.

---

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

Etymology

Origin of Uyghur

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Uyghur Uyghurs

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

Rubio, who has never visited China, was an outspoken critic of Beijing's human rights record while a senator, championing legislation that brought sanctions over Beijing's alleged use of forced labor from the Uyghur minority.

From Barron's ● May 5, 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

The crackdown on Christians fits a broader pattern that in recent years has included the persecution of Tibetan Buddhists, Uyghur Muslims, and members of smaller groups such as Falun Gong.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 20, 2025

An unverified video posted on Instagram showed around 30 people gathered on Thursday in an area of the Almaty region that has a large Uyghur population.

From Barron's ● Nov. 14, 2025

The Uyghurs, a Turkic minority, primarily hail from China's westernmost region, Xinjiang.

From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026

Both men were identified as Uyghurs, but initially the Thai police said neither was the person who planted the bomb.

From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026

They have criticised the "selective lifting of sanctions", saying they would "take no comfort" in China's decision while Lai remains imprisoned and Uyghurs continue to suffer.

From BBC ● Jan. 30, 2026

The 38-year-old read about Chinese ill treatment of the ethnic Uyghurs from foreign sources on the internet, and he traveled to Xinjiang province at great personal risk to see for himself.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 28, 2026

A United Nations commission has said at least one million Uyghurs and other minority groups, including Kazakh citizens, have been detained in a network of camps in Xinjiang.

From Barron's ● Nov. 14, 2025