North American Indian people living mainly in Florida and Oklahoma, U.S. Their language belongs to the Muskogean language stock.
The name Seminole is a Creek derivation of the Spanish word cimarrón , meaning "wild." The Seminoles split off from the Creek in the later 18th century and settled in northern Florida, where they were joined by runaway slaves, Indian and black, from Georgia. They lived more by hunting and fishing than by agriculture, constructed shelters of thatched roofs supported by poles, and wore tailored hide clothing decorated in bright-coloured strips. In an effort to stem white encroachment, they fought a succession of wars (see Seminole Wars ). Together the Seminole number about 15,000.