noun
Ottawa
O-tuh-wuh
noun
1
The capital city of Canada, located in Ontario, and by extension the country's federal government.
"The delegation flew to Ottawa to meet with the prime minister."
"Ottawa announced new funding for provincial hospitals."
2
A member of the Ottawa (Odawa) people, an Indigenous nation closely related to the Ojibwe.
"Her grandmother grew up in an Ottawa community near Georgian Bay."
How to Use Ottawa
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishBoth a Canadian city/government and the name of an Indigenous people.
Common mistake
When people say "Ottawa announced," they mean the federal government, not literally the city.
Word Forms
Ottawa plural, Ottawas plural
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The delegation flew to _____ to meet with the prime minister.
Etymology
From the Ojibwe word odaawaa, meaning "trader," tracing back to a Proto-Algonquian root for trading.