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

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

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

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

Compare meaning

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

• African vs. Indian elephant

Example Sentences

In a GQ profile, it was written that Lindo, born in London, couldn’t convince himself that the African American experience was his to interpret.

From Los Angeles Times

“We’re two African American directors nominated this year — I think that’s pretty historic,” said Hampton, a former professional dancer whose first directing credit has landed her an Oscar nod.

From Los Angeles Times

Nigeria is an African political and economic powerhouse, with a population of 237 million people.

From The Wall Street Journal

The African Union's mission in Somalia said UN and AU troops were "swiftly deployed" to help with rescue efforts.

From BBC

The first woman and first African to head the IOC, the five-time Olympic swimmer has worked to return the Games to the competitors by shielding them from political divisions and stressing unity and respect.

From Los Angeles Times