plural Pawnee or Pawnees
: a member of an Indigenous people living in east-central Nebraska during the first half of the 19th century
Note: Current members of the Pawnee live as part of the federally recognized Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma.
Examples of Pawnee in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the series finale, viewers got a glimpse of how the Parks and Rec characters' lives continued after the show, learning that Jerry was later elected mayor of Pawnee in a write-in campaign and held the position until his 100th birthday.
—
Virginia Chamlee, People.com, 28 July 2025
The series informed them — Six Feet Under style, but without all the doom and gloom — by flashing into the future and offering closure for each beloved alum of the Pawnee Parks Department.
—Ryan Coleman Published, EW.com, 27 July 2025
Measles cases have been reported in 10 counties in that area: Finney, Ford, Grant, Gray, Haskell, Kiowa, Morton, Pawnee, Seward and Stevens counties.
—Kansas City Star, 23 July 2025
Measles cases have been reported in nine counties in that area: Finney, Ford, Grant, Gray, Haskell, Kiowa, Morton, Pawnee and Stevens counties.
—Kansas City Star, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for Pawnee
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.
Virginia Chamlee, People.com, 28 July 2025
The series informed them — Six Feet Under style, but without all the doom and gloom — by flashing into the future and offering closure for each beloved alum of the Pawnee Parks Department.
—Ryan Coleman Published, EW.com, 27 July 2025
Measles cases have been reported in 10 counties in that area: Finney, Ford, Grant, Gray, Haskell, Kiowa, Morton, Pawnee, Seward and Stevens counties.
—Kansas City Star, 23 July 2025
Measles cases have been reported in nine counties in that area: Finney, Ford, Grant, Gray, Haskell, Kiowa, Morton, Pawnee and Stevens counties.
—Kansas City Star, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for Pawnee
Cite this Entry
“Pawnee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Pawnee. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Pawnee
noun
Paw·nee
pȯ-ˈnē 
pä-
: a member of an Indigenous people originally of Nebraska and Kansas
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share