American

[uh-mer-i-kuhn]

adjective

1. of or relating to the United States of America or its inhabitants.

   an American citizen.

2. of or relating to North or South America; of the Western Hemisphere.

   the American continents.

3. of or relating to the Indigenous peoples of North and South America.

noun

1. a citizen of the United States of America.

2. a native or inhabitant of North or South America.

3. an Indigenous person of North or South America.

4. American English.

5. a steam locomotive having a four-wheeled front truck, four driving wheels, and no rear truck.

American

/ əˈmɛrɪkən /

adjective

1. of or relating to the United States of America, its inhabitants, or their form of English

2. of or relating to the American continent

noun

1. a native or citizen of the US

2. a native or inhabitant of any country of North, Central, or South America

3. the English language as spoken or written in the United States

Other Word Forms

• Americanly adverb
• Americanness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of American¹

First recorded in 1570–80; Americ(a) + -an

Example Sentences

The James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions provides undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral scholars with the intellectual community, opportunities and resources to dedicate themselves to the pursuit of truth.

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When I interviewed Stoppard at San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater during rehearsals for his play “The Hard Problem,” he told me that he didn’t think he ever spent more than half an hour on research.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Its examples include the interest displayed by fans when pop star Taylor Swift and American footballer Travis Kelce announced their engagement.

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First, though, we must deal with the current injustice: the planned removal of one of the coolest sets of crosswalks in any American city.

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Ms. Wong is an assistant professor of political science and international relations at the University of Southern California and nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal