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

She is now the South American country's first female saint.

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He suggested late last month that American cities be used as "training grounds" for the country's military forces.

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Democratic Strategist Matt McDermott posted on X: “The wildest part about the largest protest in American history is that the president’s response was to post a video literally proving the point of the protest.”

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Six in 10 Americans say the president and congressional Republicans bear “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of responsibility; 54% blame congressional Democrats.

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Charging such a high-ranking official for mishandling classified documents is "rare" but not unprecedented, said Carrie Cordero, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

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