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• Spanish American
  Spanish American

  noun

  a person of Latin American descent living in the U.S.
• Spanish-American
  Spanish-American

  adjective

  of or relating to any of the Spanish-speaking countries or peoples of the Americas

Spanish American

American  

[span-ish uh-mer-i-kuhn] / ˈspæn ɪʃ əˈmɛr ɪ kən /

noun

1. a person of Latin American descent living in the U.S.

2. a person of Spanish descent living in the U.S.

3. a native or inhabitant of a Spanish American country.

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adjective

1. noting or relating to the parts of America where Spanish is the prevailing language.

2. of or relating to the natives or inhabitants of Spanish America, especially those of Spanish descent.

3. of or relating to persons of Latin American descent living in the U.S.

4. of or relating to persons of Spanish descent living in the U.S.

5. Spanish-American, occurring between Spain and America, often between Spain and the United States.

   an example of Spanish-American cooperation.

Spanish-American British  

adjective

1. of or relating to any of the Spanish-speaking countries or peoples of the Americas

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Spanish America

2. a Spanish-speaking person in the US

Grammar

There is some variation in the hyphenation of compound adjectives when those adjectives describe nationalities, ethnicities, or geographical origins. In general, English will hyphenate compound adjectives, but not compound nouns that contain the same elements. For example, members of the middle class may aspire to homeownership in a nice, middle-class neighborhood. Following that logic, compound nouns describing nationality or ethnicity are never hyphenated (a Mexican American ), but compound adjectives would be (a Mexican-American senator). Some writers do adhere to this distinction and will hyphenate compound adjectives of national or ethnic origin. However, many style guides make an exception to the rule of adjectival hyphenation for this class of words and omit the unifying hyphen. She is married to an Israeli American . He is an Israeli American entrepreneur. The capitalization of the constituent elements aids in their recognition as a single meaningful unit, and the absence of the hyphen in these compounds minimizes sociopolitical connotations for some speakers and audiences. Though the adjectival hyphen in geographical compounds meaning "and" or "both" may be omitted, the hyphen is not optional when it indicates a relationship "between" the two elements of the compound. That is, you may enjoy Spanish American cuisine, but the war between Spain and the United States in the 19th century is known as the Spanish-American War. Your neighbor may be an Asian American professor, but if she studies the economic relationship between China and the United States, she is taking an interest in Asian-American trade.

Etymology

Origin of Spanish American

First recorded in 1770–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Spanish American Spanish-American

Most Spanish American republics had ended slavery or implemented gradual emancipation measures as early as 1811, with final abolition in place by the mid-1850s.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 4, 2026

Souq Al-Tayeb had already done it before when it partnered with the Spanish American chef José Andrés’ nonprofit World Central Kitchen to feed residents affected by the Beirut blast in 2020.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2024

The supplies will be dispatched by truck, including in Gaza’s north, said José Andrés, a renowned Spanish American chef who founded the World Central Kitchen.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 16, 2024

The rice, flour, lentils, beans, and canned tuna, beef and chicken that it was hauling on a barge were supplied by World Central Kitchen, a charity founded by José Andrés, the renowned Spanish American chef.

From New York Times ● Mar. 12, 2024

Its people had been American citizens since the Spanish American war.

From "Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two" by Joseph Bruchac

Roosevelt employed Mahan’s theories as assistant secretary of the Navy during the Spanish-American War in 1898, when the U.S. seized Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and more.

From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026

Often, land purchases have been part of peace treaties, such as when the U.S. bought the Philippines from Spain for $20 million after the Spanish-American War of 1898.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 7, 2026

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana famously wrote in “The Life of Reason.”

From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2025

Hundreds of volunteers came to place flags before each grave on Saturday and reenact the Rough Riders of the Spanish-American War.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2024

She’s been fiftyish, it seems, since the Spanish-American War.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García