Latin America

American  

[lat-n uh-mer-i-kuh] / ˈlæt n əˈmɛr ɪ kə /

noun

1. the part of the American continents south of the United States in which Spanish, Portuguese, or French is officially spoken.

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Latin America British  

noun

1. those areas of America whose official languages are Spanish and Portuguese, derived from Latin: South America, Central America, Mexico, and certain islands in the Caribbean

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Latin America Cultural  

1. A term applied to all of the Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking nations south of the United States.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Latin American
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Latin America

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

In Latin America, Panama is attracting attention through its Qualified Investor Visa, which requires a $300,000 investment in real estate to secure residency.

From Barron's • Jun. 7, 2026

The eurozone saw a decline in exports, while Latin America recorded a slight increase.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

Officials in the US and in Latin America have been combating the problem of screwworms for much of the past six decades, with limited success.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

Latino storytellers and those from Latin America, at the TCL Chinese Theatre complex in Hollywood.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026

In many parts of Latin America there is a resentment, abundantly justified, of U.S. workers with big budgets swooping in to profit from the work of poor local scholars.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann