Uighur

noun

Ui·​ghur ˈwē-ˌgu̇r How to pronounce Uighur (audio)
variants or Uyghur or less commonly Uigur
plural Uighur or Uighurs or Uyghur or Uyghurs also Uigur or Uigurs
1
: a member of a Turkic people powerful in Mongolia and eastern Turkestan between the 8th and 12th centuries a.d. who constitute a majority of the population of Chinese Turkestan
2
: the Turkic language of the Uighurs
Uighur adjective
or Uyghur or less commonly Uigur

Examples of Uighur 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.
The technology exists to detect whether a company’s supply chain includes sub-tier suppliers based in the Uighur region of China. — Steve Banker, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025 The ban on Huawei’s 5G technology in the UK, human rights abuses against Uighur Muslims and Hong Kong’s National Security Law have all sparked criticism of China’s domestic and foreign activities. — Matt Burgess, WIRED, 23 July 2020

Word History

Etymology

Uighur Uighur

First Known Use

1747, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Uighur was in 1747

Rhymes for Uighur

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Cite this Entry

“Uighur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Uighur. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on Uighur

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Uighur

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