Inca

American  

[ing-kuh] / ˈɪŋ kə /

noun

1. a member of any of the dominant groups of South American Indian peoples who established an empire in Peru prior to the Spanish conquest.

2. a ruler or member of the royal family in the Incan empire.

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Inca British  

/ ˈɪŋkə /

noun

1. a member of a South American Indian people whose great empire centred on Peru lasted from about 1100 _ad to the Spanish conquest in the early 1530s and is famed for its complex culture

2. the ruler or king of this empire or any member of his family

3. the language of the Incas See also Quechua

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Other Word Forms

• Incaic adjective
• Incan noun
• pseudo-Incan adjective

Etymology

Origin of Inca

1585–95; < Spanish < Quechua inka ruler of the Inca state

Example Sentences

The Inca civilization, based high in the Andes, built the largest Indigenous empire in the Americas before European arrival.

From Science Daily • Mar. 7, 2026

“Crypto use in Venezuela will persist and likely expand in the short term,” said Adam Zarazinski, chief executive officer of the crypto-intelligence firm Inca Digital.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 10, 2026

Visitors can take a series of trains and buses to reach the site, or hike along the Inca trail with a registered tour operator.

From BBC • Dec. 31, 2025

Rail agency Ferrocarril Transandino said a train operated by PeruRail collided with another belonging to Inca Rail around lunchtime on the single track that links the town of Ollantaytambo with Machu Picchu.

From Barron's • Dec. 30, 2025

I can almost believe that I am backstage, after a performance, eating mangoes and drinking Inca Kola.

From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau