sioux

IPA/suː/
KK[sˈu]IPA/suː/

sioux — noun

  • siouxsingular
  • siouxesplural

1. a person belonging to a group of Native American nations whose homeland stretche

1.nounB2
Definition

a person belonging to a group of Native American nations whose homeland stretches across the upper plains region of North America, and who now more commonly call themselves the Dakota or Lakota

Example

Karim met a Sioux artist at the cultural festival in Rapid City.

collocation: Sioux artist / Sioux family

Sioux oral traditions were passed down through generations of storytellers.

collocation: Sioux oral traditions

Common collocations
  • Sioux tribe
  • Sioux people
  • Sioux nation
  • the Sioux
  • Sioux territory
  • Sioux reservation
Synonyms
  • Lakota person

    refers specifically to one of the three main Sioux dialect groups; many Lakota prefer this term

  • Dakota person

    refers to another major dialect group; preferred by members of that group over 'Sioux'

  • Native American

    much broader term covering all indigenous peoples of the US; less specific

Usage Note

The word Sioux came into English through French traders, who adapted it from an Ojibwe term. Many members of these nations prefer to be called Dakota or Lakota, which mean 'ally' in their own languages. When writing about these communities today, it is generally more respectful to use 'Dakota' or 'Lakota' unless referring to historical sources that use 'Sioux.'

Common Mistakes

The Sioux tribe is a single group.
The Sioux include several related nations, mainly the Dakota and Lakota.
Sioux is a collective term for multiple bands, not one unified tribe.

sioux — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Sioux, Dakota, and Lakota all refer to the same Indigenous peoples of the northern Great Plains, but they carry different levels of specificity and preferability. Sioux is a historical exonym — a name given by outsiders — and many tribal members find it outdated or inaccurate. Dakota and Lakota are the people's own names, meaning 'ally,' and are the respectful terms to use today. Within these, Dakota and Lakota denote two different but closely related dialect groups. Native American is a broad term covering all Indigenous peoples of the United States, while First Nations is the Canadian equivalent. For a learner: use 'Dakota' or 'Lakota' when referring to the people themselves (e.g., 'Lakota art is famous for its beadwork'), and reserve 'Sioux' for historical contexts or established place names like 'Sioux Falls.'

Sioux ↗Dakota ↗Lakota ↗Native American ↗First Nations

Common collocations

Nouns

Prepositions

  • of the Sioux
  • among the Sioux

Etymology

OjibweFrenchEnglish

The English word Sioux comes from the French Nadouessioux, a shortening of an Ojibwe exonym meaning 'little snakes' or 'enemy.' French fur traders adopted the term in the 1600s and shortened it to Sioux. The people themselves call their nations Dakota and Lakota, which mean 'allies' or 'friends' in their own Siouan languages. Today, those self-names have largely replaced 'Sioux' in respectful usage.