American

[ uh-mer-i-kuhn ]

adjective

1. of or relating to the United States of America or its inhabitants:

   an American citizen.

2. of or relating to North or South America; of the Western Hemisphere:

   the American continents.

3. of or relating to the Indigenous peoples of North and South America.

noun

1. a citizen of the United States of America.
2. a native or inhabitant of North or South America.
3. an Indigenous person of North or South America.
4. American English.
5. a steam locomotive having a four-wheeled front truck, four driving wheels, and no rear truck.

American

/ əˈmɛrɪkən /

adjective

1. of or relating to the United States of America, its inhabitants, or their form of English
2. of or relating to the American continent

noun

1. a native or citizen of the US
2. a native or inhabitant of any country of North, Central, or South America
3. the English language as spoken or written in the United States

Other Words From

• A·mer·i·can·ly adverb
• A·mer·i·can·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of American¹

First recorded in 1570–80; Americ(a) + -an

Example Sentences

Great American novelist Cormac McCarthy was defensively private and didn’t share much about the inspiration behind his books — or about himself.

From Los Angeles Times

Musk has admitted as such, suggesting that Americans would have to suffer immediate "hardship" in exhange for long-term prosperity.

From Salon

On the radio in 2016, Kennedy attacked Trump’s populist playbook, comparing him to European dictators like Francisco Franco and Benito Mussolini, as well as American white supremacists George Wallace and Father Charles Coughlin.

From Salon

Scientific American had endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential race.

From Science Magazine

Seven of the eight papers—six co-authored by Raoult—were published in American Society for Microbiology journals that retracted them in January, citing the results of the nonreleased university investigation.

From Science Magazine