What does "cherokee" mean?
A member of an indigenous North American people.
Cherokee
/ˌt͡ʃɛ.ɹəˈkiː/ name, noun
name, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A member of an indigenous North American people.
- Grammar: cherokee is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: cherokee individual, cherokee language, cherokee person, cherokee speech.
- Useful contrasts: foreign language, non Cherokee, non Cherokee language.
- Usage evidence: Sequoyah started making the Cherokee syllabary around 1809.
How to use "cherokee"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cherokee" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
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- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cherokee" in a final draft.
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Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cherokee" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
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3. Confirm with context
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Final meaning check
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 A member of an indigenous North American people.
- 2 the Iroquoian language spoken by the Cherokee wordnet
- 3 a member of an Iroquoian people formerly living in the Appalachian Mountains but now chiefly in Oklahoma wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 An indigenous North American people.
- 2 Their Iroquoian language, spoken in Oklahoma and North Carolina.
"You don’t have to be a member of a tribe to help protect native languages. In Oklahoma, public students can choose to take Indigenous language courses like Bodéwadmimwen, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Comanche and others for school credit — an empowering step toward recognition and respect. Many tribal nations, including CPN, also offer free resources such as language apps, workshops and virtual lessons open to learners of all backgrounds and abilities."
- 3 A syllabary for the Cherokee language invented by Sequoyah.
- 4 A town in Colbert County, Alabama.
- 5 Cherokee Village, Arkansas.
Show 13 more definitions
- 6 A census-designated place in Butte County, California.
- 7 A former gold mining settlement in Nevada County, California.
- 8 A city, the county seat of Cherokee County, Iowa.
- 9 A city in Crawford County, Kansas.
- 10 A census-designated place in Swain County and Jackson County, North Carolina, capital of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
- 11 An unincorporated community in Logan County, Ohio.
- 12 A city, the county seat of Alfalfa County, Oklahoma.
- 13 An unincorporated community in Grainger County, Tennessee.
- 14 An unincorporated community in San Saba County, Texas.
- 15 An unincorporated community in McDowell County, West Virginia.
- 16 An unincorporated community in Hull, Marathon County, Wisconsin.
- 17 A locality in the Shire of Macedon Ranges, central Victoria, Australia.
- 18 Ellipsis of Cherokee County. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Sequoyah started making the Cherokee syllabary around 1809."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cherokee"?
Common synonyms include: cherokee individual, cherokee language, cherokee person, cherokee speech, cherokee tongue, cherokees.
How do you use "cherokee" in a sentence?
Sequoyah started making the Cherokee syllabary around 1809.
How do you pronounce "cherokee"?
Pronounced /ˌt͡ʃɛ.ɹəˈkiː/.
Etymology
Most likely from the Cherokee autonym ᏣᎳᎩ (tsalagi). Derivation from a Choctaw exonym meaning "those who live in caves" (compare chiluk (“cave”)) has also been suggested — the Iroquois term for the Cherokee was Oyata'ge'ronon (“inhabitants of the cave country”) — as has derivation from a Creek term for "person(s) who speak(s) a non-Creek language" (see celokketv (“to speak a non-creek language”)). Whatever its origin, the ethnonym entered European languages at an early date, perhaps as early as the 1670s; in Spanish, the people are called the Tchalaquei as early as 1755.