Zulu
Americannoun
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Zulus,
plural
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Zulu
plural
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a member of a Nguni people living mainly in Natal, Republic of South Africa.
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the Bantu language of the Zulu.
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a word used in communications to represent the letter Z.
adjective
noun
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a member of a tall Negroid people of SE Africa, living chiefly in South Africa, who became dominant during the 19th century due to a warrior-clan system organized by the powerful leader, Shaka
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the language of this people, belonging to the Bantu group of the Niger-Congo family, closely related to Swazi and Xhosa
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communications a code word for the letter z
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of Zulu
from Zulu amaZulu people of the sky
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Mundubile and his running mate, Makebi Zulu, had gone into hiding.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
The lawyer said 17 others, including Mundubile's running mate Makebi Zulu, had also been charged with treason.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
"I can confirm that Brian Mundubile and Makebi Zulu have been formally charged... with the offence of treason," lawyer Kambwa Aongola told AFP.
From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026
Mr. Simon is already familiar with the music of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a 10-member a capella Zulu choir known for its bass-heavy harmonies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
The Zulu man is known as the warrior.
From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah
KwaZulu was classified as a "homeland", a semi-autonomous area reserved for ethnic Zulus, which existed within Natal province.
From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2026
Proud, ambitious, descended from royalty and intolerant of criticism, Buthelezi was a hereditary chief of the Zulus, South Africa’s largest ethnic group.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 15, 2023
“I commit to develop the country and the economy and promoting peace and reconciliation first among the Zulus and also among the South Africans and Africans,” King Misuzulu said after taking his oath.
From Reuters ● Oct. 29, 2022
Monarchy: A royal family feuds over who should be king of the Zulus.
From New York Times ● Aug. 17, 2022
To lump people as different as Zulus, Somalis, and Ibos under the single heading of “blacks” ignores the differences between them.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
