1
plural Ute or Utes : a member of an Indigenous people originally ranging through Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico

Note: Current-day members live as part of the federally recognized Ute Indian Tribe (Northern Ute) of the Uinta and Ouray Reservation of Northeastern Utah or the federally recognized Southern Ute Tribe of Colorado.

2
: the Uto-Aztecan language of the Ute people

Examples of Ute in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Guests included Sasson founder Paul Guez and city officials as well senior executives from textile spinning mills, textile importers and exporters; regional agriculture leaders and producers; and members of the Southern Ute Tribal Council. Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 18 June 2024 Southern Ute Tribe Vice Chairman Lorelei Cloud echoed the sentiments of many Native people at the conference and throughout the basin. Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 10 June 2024 If seen, call 911 or the Southern Ute Police Department at 970-565-4401. Julianna O'Clair, The Denver Post, 10 June 2024 Prehistoric mammoth hunters roamed here for thousands of years, followed by the Ute and Arapaho people who summered within the current park bounds until the early 1800s. Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 July 2023 After less than a year of dating, they were married by a Ute Indian shaman on New Year's Eve 2000, at the Old Snowmass, Colorado, home of Hudson's mother, Goldie Hawn. Ariana Quihuiz, Peoplemag, 9 May 2024 Manuel Heart, chairman of the Ute Mountain Ute tribe, said Stritikus always invited him to big events on campus and reached out to partner on different initiatives. Elizabeth Hernandez, The Denver Post, 14 Apr. 2024 Beyond the national park, join Native American guides from Four Corners Guides for a bikepacking adventure in Ute Mountain Tribal Park. Amiee White Beazley, Travel + Leisure, 21 Mar. 2024 Following years of talks, History Colorado began to work directly with tribal members on exhibits — first on one about Ute tribal nations that opened in 2018 and then a new exhibit on the Sand Creek Massacre, which opened in 2022, without items from the massacre site. Mary Hudetz, ProPublica, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Ute.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

short for earlier Utah, Utaw, from American Spanish Yuta

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Ute was in 1846

Dictionary Entries Near Ute

Cite this Entry

“Ute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Ute. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.

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