atua

A1T1U1A1

noun

A spiritual being in Polynesian culture; a god or demon.

OriginMāori atua →
Scrabble 4
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Meanings

nounatua (plural atuas or atua)

plural atuas

  1. New ZealandA spiritual being in Polynesian culture; a god or demon.

    Nothing was taken from the domain of these atua without respect, propitiation and expressions of gratitude.

    2003, Michael King, The Penguin History of Aotearoa New Zealand, Penguin, published 2023, page 127

Origin

  1. Māoriatua
  2. Englishatua

From Māori atua. Compare Tahitian atua, Samoan atua, Hawaiian akua.

More words from Māori

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

taua
Cite this entry
APA

atua. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/atua

MLA

“atua.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/atua. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “atua,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/atua.

Source: atua on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.