Hittite

noun

Hit·​tite ˈhi-ˌtīt How to pronounce Hittite (audio)
1
: a member of a conquering people in Asia Minor and Syria with an empire in the second millennium b.c.
2
: the extinct Indo-European language of the Hittites see Indo-European Languages Table
Hittite adjective

Examples of Hittite 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.
Once the capital of the Hittite Empire, a Bronze-Age superpower (1650 B.C.E. to 1200 B.C.E.), researchers have uncovered nearly 30,000 clay tablets that contained cuneiform writing. — Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 30 July 2025 Per Anatolian Archaeology, ancient rock tombs found in Şanlıurfa usually date to the late Hittite and Roman periods. — Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Mar. 2025 Indeed, one of the most famous stories about him is his depravity in condemning a soldier, Uriah the Hittite, to a brutal death so that David could take Uriah’s wife, Bat-Sheva, as his own. — Jacob F. Love, The Conversation, 5 Feb. 2025 Recall the biblical story of King David and his soldier Uriah the Hittite. — Mark Lilla, Harper's Magazine, 2 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for Hittite

Word History

Etymology

Hebrew Ḥittī, from Hittite ḫatti

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Hittite was in 1608

Phrases Containing Hittite

Browse Nearby Words

Hitti
Hittite
Hittite hieroglyph
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hittite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Hittite. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on Hittite

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Hittite

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