Pan-American

American

[pan-uh-mer-i-kuhn] / ˌpæn əˈmɛr ɪ kən /

adjective

of, relating to, or representing all the countries or people of North, Central, and South America.

Pan-American British

adjective

of, relating to, or concerning North, South, and Central America collectively or the advocacy of political or economic unity among American countries

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Pan-Americanism noun

Etymology

Origin of Pan-American

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90

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.

He is one of its greatest cultural coalitionists, fusing Pan-American sounds — hip-hop, Jamaican reggae, Haitian kompa, gospel, salsa, folk — into music that is party-ready and politically alert.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2026

Stretching from Alaska to the pencil tip of Argentina, the 48,000km-long Pan-American Highway holds the record for the world's longest road navigable by motor vehicle.

From BBC • Nov. 12, 2025

The focus of the tour is Dudamel’s Pan-American Music Initiative.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2024

Martínez was amazed in 2015 when he saw Boza, who was 50 at the time, win a gold medal at the Toronto Pan-American Games, beating opponents half his age.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 12, 2024

“Every bit of it. From the Pan-American highway to those mountaintops over there. You see them?”

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023