American
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to the United States of America or its inhabitants.
an American citizen.
-
of or relating to North or South America; of the Western Hemisphere.
the American continents.
-
of or relating to the Indigenous peoples of North and South America.
noun
-
Americans
plural
-
a citizen of the United States of America.
-
a native or inhabitant of North or South America.
-
an Indigenous person of North or South America.
-
a steam locomotive having a four-wheeled front truck, four driving wheels, and no rear truck.
adjective
-
of or relating to the United States of America, its inhabitants, or their form of English
-
of or relating to the American continent
noun
-
a native or citizen of the US
-
a native or inhabitant of any country of North, Central, or South America
-
the English language as spoken or written in the United States
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of American
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.
See Examples For:
The damage to U.S. trade could deepen if Brazil retaliates by imposing additional tariffs on American imports.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
Lenín Moreno insisted he had not taken money from a Chinese firm which secured a contract to build a hydroelectric plant in the Latin American nation.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
According to the American Heart Association's 2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics, the condition affects about 6.7 million adults in the U.S.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 29, 2026
The numbers began to rise again in 2022 as American consumers began facing increasing stress from income that has not kept pace with inflation and a sharp jump in credit card interest rates.
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026
A crackling on the line: The American was back, panting, out of breath.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Fortunately, most Americans they already have a job — and they are unlikely to lose it.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026
The number of Americans who file for bankruptcy is growing.
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026
More than 7.5 million Americans took advantage of this provision this year, claiming an average deduction of $7,000, according to the US Treasury.
From Barron's ● Aug. 29, 2026
Americans paid more than $3 trillion in premiums in 2025 for property and casualty, title, life, accident and health insurance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
In seven states, thousands of Americans stood weeping on riverbanks and train depots, hats in hands, hands over hearts.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
