American

American  

[uh-mer-i-kuhn] / əˈmɛr ɪ kən /

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.

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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 British  

/ 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

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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

Etymology

Origin of American

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

Example Sentences

Firms are snapping up smaller competitors in a bid to capture a piece of Americans’ growing wealth.

From The Wall Street Journal

After graduating in 1976, he joined the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.

From Los Angeles Times

And it is a highly bingeable product that will satisfy Americans in their Snuggies, hunkering down on the couch to welcome in a new year.

From The Wall Street Journal

“This is a bad way to deal with affordability concerns,” says American Enterprise Institute economist Michael Strain.

From The Wall Street Journal

One resolution repealed an overdraft lending rule from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that reduced credit for low-income Americans.

From The Wall Street Journal