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

But James Bosworth, the founder of Hxagon, a company that provides political risk analysis in Latin America, said many leaders in the region have come to tough-on-crime policies on their own.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 21, 2026

It’s now in the final stages of integrating its Avon Latin America workforce with its Natura one.

From Barron's • Jun. 17, 2026

The Latin America and Asian financial crises originated with fixed exchange rates that encouraged banks to lend across borders.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

Schneider was succeeded by Laurent Freixe, who joined Nestlé in 1986 and had been CEO of the company’s Latin America business since 2022.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

I make something up about a new exhibit featuring female artists from Latin America.

From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez