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

Uefa also asked why no disciplinary action was taken against DR Congo after the African nation reportedly played an ineligible player in World Cup qualifying.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

“They had not received any recognition for their efforts. We were all new to the business. The artists that we met then are now the primary artists representing the African American community.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026

He deployed fighters to protect the military junta in the West African country of Mali for $10 million a month, according to the Pentagon-funded Africa Center for Strategic Studies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026

In fact, anyone who wasn’t Haitian might be referred to as a blan, including the African American medical student who had recently joined the staff at Zanmi Lasante.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

By September 30, the United States had admitted 16,287 South Africans under the programme over the preceding year.

From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 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

Enslaved Africans had lived in New York since its days as a Dutch colony.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026

"It's not really about raising funds. It's about getting our own Africans generally to be part and parcel of this refinery," Dangote said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026

Because it’s on your head—the highest part of your body and closest to the skies—many Africans viewed it as a passageway for spirits to the soul, a way to interact with God.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon

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