Kyrgyz

noun

Kyr·​gyz ˌkir-ˈgēz How to pronounce Kyrgyz (audio)
variants or Kirghiz
plural Kyrgyz or Kirghiz
1
: a member of a Turkic people of Kyrgyzstan and adjacent areas of central Asia
2
: the language of the Kyrgyz
Kyrgyz adjective

Examples of Kyrgyz 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.
But after a visit to Moscow in April 2024, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov signed legislation that mimicked Russia’s law, imposing stringent auditing and reporting on organizations receiving funding from abroad. Alexander Cooley, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2025 Almost all Kyrgyz families now live in houses, but for the warmer months, many transport their yurts and their grazing animals to the mountains. Oscar Espinosa, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Nov. 2024 Although Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan built their nationhood by denouncing the Soviet past as colonial, the Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Tajik governments did not use such framing. Marlene Laruelle, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2022 Kazakhstan’s transportation ministry said that the flight’s passengers included 37 Azerbaijani nationals, 16 Russians, six Kazakh citizens and three Kyrgyz nationals. Ivan Nechepurenko, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2024 Based on preliminary information, the passengers included 37 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russian citizens, six Kazakh citizens, and three Kyrgyz citizens, according to the airline. David Chiu, People.com, 30 Dec. 2024 The victims Passengers on the Azerbaijan Airlines’ Embraer operated flight 190 included 37 Azerbaijani nationals, 16 Russians, six Kazakh citizens and three Kyrgyz nationals, according to the New York Times. Olivia B. Waxman, TIME, 26 Dec. 2024 The Russian state news agency Ria Novosti reported that the passengers were 37 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russians, 6 Kazakh citizens and 3 Kyrgyz citizens, citing the Kazakh Transport Ministry. Lena Medvedeva, NBC News, 25 Dec. 2024 But the Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, and Uzbek governments have been very clear that their citizens are not permitted to fight in Ukraine and will face penalties, perhaps even imprisonment, for doing so. Marlene Laruelle, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Kyrgyz Kɨrgɨz

First Known Use

1652, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Kyrgyz was in 1652

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kyrgyz.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Kyrgyz. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

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