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

Cairo and I love the pasta with the truffle and Parmesan cheese, and Cree loves the beef ravioli.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2024

The Mushkegowuk were an Indigenous people sometimes referred to as the Swampy Cree and now registered with the Canadian government as the York Factory First Nation.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz