Latino

American  

[luh-tee-noh, la-] / ləˈti noʊ, læ- /

Or latino

adjective

1. of or relating to people of Latin American origin or descent, especially those living in the United States: Latino audiences;

   Latino business owners;

   Latino audiences;

   the Latino community;

   Latino immigrants.

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noun

Latinos plural

1. a person of Latin American origin or descent, especially one living in the United States.

   a growing population of Latinos in the Midwest.

Latino British  

/ læˈtiːnəʊ /

noun

1. an inhabitant of the US who is of Latin American origin

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Latina
  noun

Inflected Forms

noun

• Latinos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Latino

An Americanism dating back to 1945–50; from Spanish (United States), perhaps by ellipsis from Spanish latinoamericano “Latin American,” equivalent to latino “Latin” (referring to the places or people with Latinate or Romance language in common) + americano “American”

Example Sentences

If he wins the November midterm election, Becerra will be the first Latino ever elected to California's governor's office.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

If elected, he would be California's first Latino governor since 1875, in a state where Latinos make up about 41% of the population.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

He picked up some Spanish from Latino teammates in Japan that he uses to help bridge the language barrier.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026

Election after election, Texas Democrats won the Latino vote by wide margins.

From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026

It and Don Francisco’s other major show, Sabado Gigante, have made him one of the most recognizable figures in the Hispanic world—a Latino combination of David Letterman and Oprah.

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario