African

American  

[af-ri-kuhn] / ˈæf rɪ kən /

adjective

1. of or from Africa; belonging to the Black peoples of Africa.

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noun

• Africans
  plural

1. a native or inhabitant of Africa.

2. (loosely) a Black person or other person of African ancestry.

African British  

/ ˈæfrɪkən /

adjective

1. denoting or relating to Africa or any of its peoples, languages, nations, etc

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noun

1. a native, inhabitant, or citizen of any of the countries of Africa

2. a member or descendant of any of the peoples of Africa, esp a Black person

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Africanness
  noun
• inter-African
  adjective
• non-African
  adjective
• proAfrican
  adjective
• pseudo-African
  adjective
• trans-African
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• Africans
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of African

First recorded before 1000 for noun, 1540–60 for adjective; Middle English noun Affrican, Aufrican “an inhabitant of North Africa or the Roman province of Africa (approximately modern Tunisia),” Old English noun Africanas “Africans” (accusative plural), from Late Latin Āfricānus “an inhabitant of Africa,” from Latin adjective Āfricānus “pertaining to Africa, African,” from Āfrica (short for terra Āfrica “African land”) “the continent of Africa, the Roman province of Africa,” a derivative of Āfrī, plural of adjective and noun Āfer ( Āfra, Āfrum ) “pertaining to Africa, African,” as a noun “an inhabitant of North Africa”; further etymology uncertain; possibly akin to Phoenician ʾafar “dust”; possibly the name of a local Libyan tribe ancestral to the Berbers

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Compare meaning

How does african compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• African vs. Indian elephant

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

African Africans

"Even before generic availability, over 125,000 people in 10 early adopter African countries have already started Gilead's lenacapavir," Unitaid's statement said.

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026

Edwards, who was linked with the vacant Fiji job secured by South African Jake White, added he is surprised that his experience has not yet led to a head coach role with a Test side.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

The team's findings also suggest that the traditional emphasis on East African fossils may have provided an incomplete view of this much older evolutionary story.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026

One of Green’s students in African American studies, 23-year-old Kioi Shropshire-Maina, also works as a Bass volunteer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026

Philadelphia was certainly a place where a young African American woman could go about her business without attracting much notice.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

According to security sources and some of the men by the hotel pool, paramilitaries in the country include Ukrainians, Israelis, South Africans and Algerians.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

One commentator on X said his death had "united Africans in celebration", external.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Mr. Mancall aims to show “how the territory that became America . . . reflected the experiences of millions of Indigenous women and men as well as Africans and Europeans.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

His broader goal is to give ordinary Nigerians and Africans a chance to own a stake in what would be the continent's biggest industrial project.

From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026

The notion of white supremacy rationalized the enslavement of Africans, even as whites endeavored to form a new nation based on the ideals of equality, liberty, and justice for all.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

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