American

American  

[uh-mer-i-kuhn] / əˈmɛr ɪ kən /

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.

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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 British  

/ 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

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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 Word Forms

• Americanly adverb
• Americanness noun

Etymology

Origin of American

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

Example Sentences

High in the treetops of a South American rainforest, scientists have identified a tiny soldier termite with a surprisingly whale-like appearance.

From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2026

The same words were used in a launch from here in 1962 to send John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, on his way.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

Soon after the American Civil Liberties Union lawyer Celia Wang began her argument, Trump abruptly rose and left.

From Salon • Apr. 1, 2026

Bolivia and the United States have resumed joint anti-drug trafficking investigations, the South American country's drugs czar Ernesto Justiniano told AFP on Wednesday.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

Off the coast of Greenland, Kane and his crew were finally rescued by a passing merchant ship and later transferred to the American rescue vessel.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock