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.

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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

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Latin America Cultural  

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

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Other Word Forms

• Latin American adjective

Etymology

Origin of Latin America

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

The oil drilling company’s revenue for Latin America jumped 22% from a year ago to $1.1 billion, driven by higher activity in Ecuador, the Caribbean, and Brazil.

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

The clothing is either sold locally, or exported to other countries in Latin America.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

“Argentines have been uncharacteristically patient, but that patience is running low,” said Benjamin Gedan, the director of the Latin America Program at the Stimson Center.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

The stock, with a $90 billion market cap, is unusual among Canada’s big banks for its historical emphasis on expanding in Latin America.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

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

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri