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• America
  America

  noun

  United States.
• “America”
  “America”

  An American patriotic hymn from the nineteenth century, sung to the tune of the national anthem of Great Britain, “God Save the Queen.” It begins, “My country, 'tis of thee.”

America

American  

[uh-mer-i-kuh] / əˈmɛr ɪ kə /

noun

1. United States.

2. North America.

3. South America.

4. Also called the Americas.  North and South America considered together.

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America British  

/ əˈmɛrɪkə /

noun

1. short for the United States of America

2. Also called: the Americas.  the American continent, including North, South, and Central America

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“America” Cultural  

1. An American patriotic hymn from the nineteenth century, sung to the tune of the national anthem of Great Britain, “God Save the Queen.” It begins, “My country, 'tis of thee.”

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Usage

Spelling tips for America It can be difficult to remember how to spell the word America because it’s a place name that’s thought to be derived from a person’s name (Amerigo Vespucci). How to spell America: To remember how to spell America, think of a woman named Erica introducing herself: “Hi, I am Erica.”

Etymology

Origin of America

C16: from Americus , Latin form of Amerigo ; after Amerigo _Vespucci

Example Sentences

As America approaches its 250th anniversary, I’ve been thinking about what we’ll need to get us to 300.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 2026

"I think there's been so much bad around America in the last couple of years, and it's really nice to see this," said Martorelli.

From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026

Additional crude supplies in the form of exports coming mostly from the U.S., and also from countries in South America and Africa, softened the blow.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 18, 2026

“Having this World Cup in North America clearly has a huge impact on ratings,” said Patrick Rishe, director of the sports business program at Washington University in St. Louis.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026

In reality, Fukushima is a prefecture in Japan—a government district similar to a state in America.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland