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

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday the country should "prepare" for the possibility of being removed from Washington's duty-free trade programme for Africa, as ties between the two nations continue to fray.

From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026

Pavel Prigozhin, now 28, not only salvaged but expanded operations in Wagner’s African stronghold, the Central African Republic, according to former Wagner associates, government officials, business people and researchers in Bangui, the capital city.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026

"You can understand why the owners want to refer to African dictators because that's how it feels from their perspective."

From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026

Organizers behind Taste of Soul — an annual free street festival that celebrates African American food, music and culture — said the incidents occurred outside of the festival grounds, according to ABC 7.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2026

In the story Dad taught me, High John was an African prince who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in America.

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas

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

The rate of lactose intolerance is higher in certain populations, such as Africans, Asians, and Latinos.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 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

South Africans also shared the fear and anxiety women often feel in the country.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

Desiring cheap, expendable labor, colonists imported nearly eight thousand Africans from the western and southern parts of the continent in the mid-1600s.

From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman

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