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all-American

American  
[awl-uh-mer-i-kuhn] / ˌɔl əˈmɛr ɪ kən /

adjective

  1. representing the entire United States.

  2. composed exclusively of American members or elements.

  3. selected as the best in the United States, as in a sport.

    the all-American college football team of 1983.


noun

  1. an all-American player or performer.

all-American British  

adjective

  1. representative of the whole of the United States

  2. composed exclusively of American members

  3. (of a person) typically American

    the company looks for all-American clean-cut college students

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of all-American

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The fight is emblematic of the cutthroat competition to establish an all-American supply chain for rare earths.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 29, 2026

The original features “an all-American archetype of a virtuous family pitted against a monster,” while Scorsese depicted a “broken and dysfunctional family and the monster is even more extreme, he’s like a swamp creature.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026

Constan said things began to shift for his all-American stance in early 2025.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 18, 2026

Jessica Pegula said she will have to "crack the code" of Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open semi-finals after dismantling error-strewn Amanda Anisimova on Wednesday in an all-American showdown.

From Barron's • Jan. 28, 2026

I suddenly realize how Shanti and I must look to them—a petite Bengali girl in a salwar standing next to the school's all-American athlete.

From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins

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