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• African American
  African American

  noun

  an American with Black African ancestry.
• African-American
  African-American

  noun

  an American of African descent

African American

American  

[af-ri-kuhn uh-mer-i-kuhn] / ˈæf rɪ kən əˈmɛr ɪ kən /

Sometimes Aframerican

noun

1. an American with Black African ancestry.

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adjective

1. of or relating to African Americans.

2. African-American, occurring between the United States and Africa.

   Several international charities are promoting African-American cooperation in expanding access to safe drinking water.

African-American British  

noun

1. an American of African descent

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adjective

1. of or relating to Americans of African descent

Usage

During the 1980s, many Americans sought to display pride in their immigrant origins. Linguistically, this brought about a brief period of short-form hyphenated designations, like Italo-Americans and Greco-Americans. The Black community also embraced the existing term Afro-American, a label that emphasized geographical or ethnic heritage over skin color. The related label, African American, also saw an increase in use among activists in the 1970s and 1980s. African American was even more widely adopted in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s after high-profile Black leaders advocated for it, arguing, as Jesse Jackson did, that the term brought “proper historical context” and had “cultural integrity.” See Black ¹.

This is the currently preferred term in the US for people of African ancestry

Etymology

Origin of African American

An Americanism dating back to 1780–90

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

African American African-American

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

It’s a stark contrast to the National Museum of African American History & Culture, which opened in 2016 under the direction of Bunch and, notably, has a clear chronological design.

From Salon ● Sep. 25, 2026

Rebecca completed her bachelor’s degree at Harvard College, where she studied philosophy and African American studies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

His career accomplishments include founding the National Museum of African American History and Culture and authoring numerous books, including one on the NMAAHC's creation.

From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026

The elected leaders of the African American community have a much broader mandate than civil rights groups, but they, too, frequently overlook criminal justice.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

She is also scheduled to teach two other classes this spring: one on African-American politics and another on the politics of race, ethnicity and immigration.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

In 1826 an African-American man operated a business where he told fortunes to customers on Canal Street.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026

When Bunch ascended to his top job in 2019, he was celebrated as the first African-American and first historian in the Secretary role—his 13 predecessors all hailed from scientific, business or legal fields.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

"His background is everything - European, African-American, Hispanic and indigenous as well," he says.

From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026

Durham School Board chairman Theodore Speigner, the first African-American to hold that office, attended the meeting.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

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