Latin America

American  

[lat-n uh-mer-i-kuh] / ˈlæt n əˈmɛr ɪ kə /

noun

1. the part of the American continents south of the United States in which Spanish, Portuguese, or French is officially spoken.

---

Latin America British  

noun

1. those areas of America whose official languages are Spanish and Portuguese, derived from Latin: South America, Central America, Mexico, and certain islands in the Caribbean

---

Latin America Cultural  

1. A term applied to all of the Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking nations south of the United States.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Latin American
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Latin America

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

The term “travesti” was long reserved for transgender people in Latin America, namely those whose gender expressions leaned feminine.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

That same year, world football's governing body Fifa had selected the USA to host the 1994 World Cup finals - the first time the tournament had gone to a country outside Europe or Latin America.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

The eurozone saw a decline in exports, while Latin America recorded a slight increase.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

In sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and other low-income regions, relatively few people receive dialysis or kidney transplants.

From Science Daily • May 29, 2026

He had spent the years after college traveling around Asia, Latin America.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri