Cree

American  

[kree] / kri /

noun

plural

Crees,

plural

Cree

1. a member of a North American Indian people of Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Montana.

2. an Algonquian language, the language of the Cree Indians.

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Cree ¹ British  

/ kriː /

noun

1. a member of a Native American people living in Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba

2. the language of this people, belonging to the Algonquian family

3. a syllabic writing system of this and certain other languages

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cree ² British  

/ kriː /

noun

1. dialect temporary immunity from the rules of a game: said by children

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Etymology

Origin of Cree¹

from first syllable of Canadian French Christianaux, probably based on Ojibwa Kenistenoag (tribal name)

Origin of cree²

of unknown origin

Example Sentences

He is survived by his wife, Cinda Cree Hicks, six children and 14 grandchildren.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 9, 2025

Among the artefacts being returned is an Inuit kayak that had historically been used to hunt whales in Canada's far north, and a set of embroidered gloves that came from the Cree Nation.

From BBC • Nov. 15, 2025

Based on Cree values and a commitment to Indigenous food sovereignty, it provides a rich example of a systemic and structural solution to addressing food insecurity at a more local level.

From Salon • Sep. 4, 2024

Cree usually loves to join me because he loves food.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2024

“I know, that’s on me. But I am certain. He’s speaking an old Cree I don’t even fully know. He’s way more fluent than me or anyone else I’ve met. And walked his lineage back.”

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline