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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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

African American African-American

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 California African American Museum in Exposition Park will offer a wellness combo on Sunday, Aug. 9: that is, a 60-minute yoga session followed by a 60-minute sound bath to unwind after flowing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

In Tuskegee, a rural Alabama city with less than 9,000 people, over 80% of them African American, nearly one in three people live in poverty.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

In our Valley Stream, Long Island home, my youthful 80-year-old, African American mother and I — her Gen X son and facial clone — comment on each episode like armchair judges.

From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026

Now place yourself in the shoes of Clifford Runoalds, another African American victim of the Hearne drug bust.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Marvin Robbins, the first vice president of District Council 37 Local 983, who is also African-American, had posted the image on the union’s Facebook page, where hundreds of Mr. Seabron’s colleagues could see it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

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

From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026

“We’re doing very well with the Black jobs, African-American jobs,” he said.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026

Finally, almost all the plays from August Wilson’s cycle of 10 exploring the African-American experience in the 20th century can be viewed as important contributions to American culture.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026

Despite my best efforts to convince myself that being a doctor was my destiny, I decided to double major in African and African-American Studies and International Relations with a focus on the Middle East.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad