1
a
: a member of the Quechuan peoples of Peru maintaining an empire until the Spanish conquest
b
: a king or noble of the Inca empire
2
: a member of any people under Inca influence
Examples of Inca in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the Mars Express image, the dark spots can be seen creeping across the towering hills and expansive plateaus of the mysterious Inca City discovered in 1972 by NASA’s Mariner 9 probe.
—
Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2024
Scientists are still not sure exactly how Inca City formed.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 25 Apr. 2024
In 2019, the couple got engaged when Spencer proposed to Woodruff Carr during a hiking trip along the Inca trail in the Peruvian Andes.
—Skyler Trepel, Peoplemag, 22 Apr. 2024
Rowe was an archaeologist and anthropologist known for his extensive research on Peru, specifically the Inca civilization.
—Juan B. García, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2024
In South America, the Inca saw solar eclipses as a sign of the sun god’s displeasure; leaders would try to divine the source of his wrath and appease him with an appropriate sacrifice.
—Dan Falk, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024
The practice had been abandoned even before the rise of Inca civilization in the 13th century.
—Chelsea Fisher, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2024
The altitude is one reason why various Inca mummified remains have been found in remarkable states of preservation.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 28 Dec. 2023
But new research has revealed that this unassuming plaza dates back nearly five millennia, to an era that far preceded the Inca and their predecessors, like the Wari and Chimú cultures.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 29 Feb. 2024
Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2024
Scientists are still not sure exactly how Inca City formed.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 25 Apr. 2024
In 2019, the couple got engaged when Spencer proposed to Woodruff Carr during a hiking trip along the Inca trail in the Peruvian Andes.
—Skyler Trepel, Peoplemag, 22 Apr. 2024
Rowe was an archaeologist and anthropologist known for his extensive research on Peru, specifically the Inca civilization.
—Juan B. García, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2024
In South America, the Inca saw solar eclipses as a sign of the sun god’s displeasure; leaders would try to divine the source of his wrath and appease him with an appropriate sacrifice.
—Dan Falk, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024
The practice had been abandoned even before the rise of Inca civilization in the 13th century.
—Chelsea Fisher, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2024
The altitude is one reason why various Inca mummified remains have been found in remarkable states of preservation.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 28 Dec. 2023
But new research has revealed that this unassuming plaza dates back nearly five millennia, to an era that far preceded the Inca and their predecessors, like the Wari and Chimú cultures.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 29 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Inca.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near Inca
Cite this Entry
“Inca.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Inca. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
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