Hutu

noun

Hu·​tu ˈhü-(ˌ)tü How to pronounce Hutu (audio)
plural Hutu or Hutus
: a member of a Bantu-speaking people of Rwanda and Burundi

Examples of Hutu 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.
Speaking in French, Swahili and Kinyarwanda — the language of Rwanda and of many Congolese Hutu and Tutsi — the leaders vowed to march on Kinshasa. — Emmet Livingstone, The Dial, 20 Mar. 2025 Rwanda has accused Congo of enlisting ethnic Hutu fighters responsible for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda of minority Tutsis and moderate Hutus. — Janvier Barhahiga and Monika Pronczuk The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 28 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Kinyarwanda & Kirundi (Bantu languages of East Africa)

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Hutu was in 1952

Rhymes for Hutu

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Browse Nearby Words

huttonweed
Hutu
hutukhtu
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Cite this Entry

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

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Hutu

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