African elephant

American  

[af-ri-kuhn el-uh-fuhnt] / ˈæf rɪ kən ˈɛl ə fənt /

noun

1. an elephant of the genus Loxodonta, with two extant species, the larger African bush elephant and the African forest elephant, both found in sub-Saharan Africa and previously considered subspecies rather than genetically distinct: Compared to an Asian elephant, an African elephant is larger and has enormous ears, a rounder head, a trunk ending in two fingers rather than one, and conspicuous tusks occurring in both sexes.

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Etymology

Origin of African elephant

First recorded in 1600–20

Compare meaning

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

• African elephant vs. Asian elephant

Example Sentences

After Shankar's death, there is only one African elephant left in India - an adult male at Mysore Zoo in southern Karnataka state.

From BBC • Nov. 4, 2025

In 2024, the Oakland Zoo decided to send Osh, its last remaining African elephant, to the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee.

From Salon • Feb. 18, 2025

There is hope that once Osh, a male, arrives at the sanctuary, the 30-year-old pachyderm will reunite with Donna, the zoo’s last remaining female African elephant that was relocated there last year.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 14, 2024

The heaviest land mammal alive today is the African elephant at around 6.6 tonnes -- yet some land dinosaurs, like the Patagotitan, likely weighed much more than 40 tonnes.

From Science Daily • Mar. 12, 2024

In that early age, when it first became known to the Egyptians, the African elephant must still have existed there.

From The Egypt of the Hebrews and Herodotos by Sayce, A. H. (Archibald Henry)