Aztec

noun

Az·​tec ˈaz-ˌtek How to pronounce Aztec (audio)
1
a
: a member of a Nahuatl-speaking people that founded the Mexican empire conquered by Cortes in 1519
b
: a member of any people under Aztec influence
2
Aztecan
ˈaz-ˌte-kən How to pronounce Aztec (audio)
ˌaz-ˈte-
adjective

Examples of Aztec 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.
Soon after, conquistador Hernán Cortés arrived in Central America and began the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire in 1519, which ended in 1521 with the fall of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital. Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 30 Jan. 2025 By the end of the 15th century, Ramón Celis told Newsweek, the Zapotecs had managed to both gain almost total control of Oaxaca's Pacific Coat, and had resisted the aggressive Late Postclassic expansion of the Mexicas (the Aztec Empire). Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025 He was originally scheduled to be Honor Warrior this past season for the game against Washington State, although former Aztec linebacker Kyahva Tezino did the honors. Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Feb. 2025 Hamm’s family were able to identify the unique mixture of Aztec and US military tattoos on his body in a video livestream Guillaume set up from the morgue. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 30 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for Aztec 

Word History

Etymology

Spanish azteca, from Nahuatl aztēcah, plural of aztēcatl

First Known Use

1810, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of Aztec was in 1810

Dictionary Entries Near Aztec

Cite this Entry

“Aztec.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Aztec. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

Aztec

noun
Az·​tec ˈaz-ˌtek How to pronounce Aztec (audio)
: a member of an Indigenous people that ruled a large empire in Mexico in the 15th-16th centuries

More from Merriam-Webster on Aztec

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!