Navajo

noun

Na·​va·​jo ˈna-və-ˌhō How to pronounce Navajo (audio) ˈnä- How to pronounce Navajo (audio)
variants or less commonly Navaho
1
plural Navajo or Navajos also Navaho or Navahos : a member of an Indigenous people of northern New Mexico and Arizona and southern Utah
2
: the language of the Navajo people

Examples of Navajo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Downstream, residents of the vast Navajo Nation braced for floodwaters not expected to peak until late Friday or early Saturday. — Mead Gruver, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026 Residents in low-lying and flood prone areas along the San Juan, Rio Blanco, Navajo, and Piedra Rivers are under a mandatory evacuation order. — Libby Smith, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 District 128 schools are Chippewa Elementary, Independence Junior High, Indian Hill and Navajo Heights. — Elena Tittel, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026 Navajo Dye Chart shows how plants can be used to make different colors. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for Navajo

Word History

Etymology

Spanish (Apache de) Navajó, literally, Apache of Navajó, from Navajó, area occupied by Navajos, probably from Tewa (Pueblo Indian language of northern New Mexico) navahu·, literally, arroyo with planted fields

First Known Use

1808, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Navajo was in 1808

Rhymes for Navajo

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Browse Nearby Words

navaid
Navajo
Navajo blanket
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Navajo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Navajo. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

Navajo

noun
Na·​va·​jo
variants also Navaho
ˈnav-ə-ˌhō How to pronounce Navajo (audio) ˈnäv- How to pronounce Navajo (audio)
plural Navajo or Navajos also Navaho or Navahos
: a member of an Indigenous people of northern New Mexico and Arizona

More from Merriam-Webster on Navajo

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Navajo

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