Apache

noun

plural Apache or Apaches ə-ˈpa-chēz How to pronounce Apache (audio)
-ˈpash,
-ˈpa-shəz
1
: a member of a group of Indigenous peoples of the southwestern U.S.
2
: any of the Athabascan languages of the Apache people
3
not capitalized [French, from Apache Apache Indian]
a
: a member of a gang of criminals especially in Paris
b
Apachean adjective or noun

Examples of Apache in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Highlights in the Land of Enchantment include curving through Apache Canyon, sidling along the red sandstone cliffs near Gallup, and marveling at the barren lava fields of El Malpais National Monument and National Conservation Area. Ellen Carpenter, AFAR Media, 24 Apr. 2025 Luke Goodrich, a Becket attorney representing Apache Stronghold, which is suing to block the land transfer on religious grounds, told the justices that the notice confirms an urgent need to get involved. Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2025 The Tlingit described it as the budding moon of plants and shrubs, the Cherokee called it the flower moon, and the Apache referred to it as the moon of the big leaves, according to Western Washington University’s site. Kameryn Griesser, CNN Money, 12 Apr. 2025 The Little Colorado River Valley (Navajo and Apache Counties) and the White Mountains are under a red flag warning from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. MT on Sunday. David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for Apache

Word History

Etymology

American Spanish, perhaps from Zuni ʔa·paču Navajo, Apachean

First Known Use

1703, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Apache was in 1703

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Apache.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Apache. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

Apache

noun
plural Apache or Apaches
: a member of a group of Indigenous peoples of the southwestern U.S.
also : any of the languages of the Apache people

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