induna

I1N1D2U1N1A1
UK/ɪnˈduːnə/

noun

A South African tribal councillor or headman (under the king); someone in authority, a boss.

OriginZulu induna →
Scrabble 7
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Meanings

nouninduna (plural indunas or izinduna)

plural indunas · plural izinduna · alternative inDuna

  1. A South African tribal councillor or headman (under the king); someone in authority, a boss.

    Although we swore this fellow to secrecy, he went straight to the induna and revealed our secret.

    1994, Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela, London: Abacus, published 2010, page 75

Origin

  1. Zuluinduna
  2. Englishinduna

Borrowed from Zulu induna.

More words from Zulu

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans indoena
  • indoenaa South African tribal headman
Zulu induna
  • indunaa South African tribal headman

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

InduanUndina
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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