The term "Ute" can refer to several different things, depending on the context. Here are some possible meanings:

1. Ute as a Native American tribe: The Ute people are an Indigenous people of the Ute tribe and culture among the Indigenous peoples of the Great Basin. They had lived in sovereignty in the regions of Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Eastern Nevada, Northern New Mexico, and Arizona. The Utes were a large tribe occupying the great basin area, encompassing the Numic speaking territories of Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Eastern California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Northern Arizona and New Mexico. The Utes were skilled hunters who specialized in horse-mounted combat. They were close allies with the Jicarilla Apache who shared much of the same territory and intermarried. They also intermarried with Paiute, Bannock, and Western Shoshone peoples.

2. Ute as a mascot: The University of Utahs athletic teams are known as the Utes. The Utes are a Native American tribe upon which the state of Utah was named after. The Ute tribe gave permission to the university to use their name and likeness as the schools mascot.

3. Ute as a vehicle: In Australia and New Zealand, a "ute" is a term used to describe vehicles with a tonneau behind the passenger compartment, that... Historically, the term "ute" (short for utility vehicle) has been used to describe a 2-door vehicle based on a passenger car chassis, such as the Holden Commodore, Australian Ford Falcon, Chevrolet El Camino, and Subaru BRAT).

4. Ute as a dialect: The language of the Utes is Shoshonean, a dialect of that Uto-Aztecan language. It is believed that the people who speak Shoshonean separated from other Ute-Aztecan speaking groups, such as the Paiute, Goshute, Shoshone Bannock, Comanche, Chemehuevi, and some tribes in California.

5. Ute as a term: The origin of the word Ute is unknown; it is first attested as Yuta in Spanish documents. The Utes self-designation is Núuchi-u, meaning the people.