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
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.
By Tania Ganguli Page B6 The Arts Ute Lemper Still Sings Songs of Rebellion. Kenneth P. Vogel Aaron Boxerman Christina Jewett Lydia Depillis, New York Times, 28 May 2025 That station was founded in 1976 by the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. David Bauder, Twin Cities, 28 May 2025 Planted within yards of each other inside the Mesa County Fairgrounds, at the CSU Extension Tri-River Area office, 2775 U.S. 50, the Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society Demonstration Garden, and the Clifford Duncan Ute Learning Garden are Grand Junction beauties. Jamie Siebrase, Denver Post, 22 May 2025 For the Southern Ute, the crossings fit in with the cultural importance of being stewards of the land, said Andrew Gallegos, a member of the Tribal Council. Catrin Einhorn, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for Ute

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

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Cite this Entry

“Ute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Ute. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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