Yankee

American  

[yang-kee] / ˈjæŋ ki /

noun

• Yankees
  plural

1. a native or inhabitant of the United States.

2. a native or inhabitant of New England.

3. a native or inhabitant of a northern U.S. state, especially of one of the northeastern states that sided with the Union in the American Civil War.

4. a federal or northern soldier in the American Civil War.

5. a word used in communications to represent the letter Y.

6. Military. the NATO name for a class of streamlined, nuclear-powered Soviet submarines, with 16 multiple-warhead ballistic missiles: first produced for the Soviet Navy in the 1960s; in service with the Russian Navy 1992–95.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a Yankee or Yankees.

   Yankee ingenuity.

Yankee British  

/ ˈjæŋkɪ /

noun

1. derogatory a native or inhabitant of the US; American

2. a native or inhabitant of New England

3. a native or inhabitant of the Northern US, esp a Northern soldier in the Civil War

4. communications a code word for the letter y

5. finance a bond issued in the US by a foreign borrower

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Yankees

Yankee Cultural  

1. Originally a nickname for people from New England, now applied to anyone from the United States. Even before the American Revolutionary War, the term Yankee was used by the British to refer, derisively, to the American colonists. Since the Civil War, American southerners have called all northerners Yankees. Since World War I, the rest of the world has used the term to refer to all Americans.

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Discover More

The expression “Yankee, go home” reflects foreign resentment of American presence or involvement in other nations' affairs.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Yankees
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Yankee

An Americanism dating back to 1680–90 of uncertain origin; perhaps back formation from Dutch Jan Kees “John Cheese,” nickname (mistaken for plural) applied by the Dutch of colonial New York to English settlers in Connecticut

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Yankee Yankees

The agreement combines credit and equity, Yankee Global Enterprises said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

A reading nook looks out at Yankee Stadium.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Hogan is speaking to BBC Sport in New York ahead of Andoni Iraola's side taking on Wrexham at the famous Yankee Stadium on Wednesday evening at 19:30 local time, 00:30 BST.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

“And they told me, you’re going to get it here at Yankee Stadium, it’s going to be really good.’

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

The Yankee pitcher was one out away from becoming a phenomenon so rare that it had never been seen before—the first man to pitch a no-hitter in the World Series.

From "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord

Glad to hear the new San Diego Padres owner is a longtime Yankees fan, therefore hating the Dodgers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026

Major franchises — the Lakers, Dodgers, Dallas Cowboys and New York Yankees, to name a few — don’t change hands often.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

A group headed by former Yankees and Dodgers manager Joe Torre and L.A. developer Rick Caruso dropped out of the bidding ahead of Cohen.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

Schlittler had to, the Yankees thought, because it is well established that MLB hitters will eventually catch up to any amount of heat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

Gage had sent him either because he knew he was a better officer than Colonel Smith or because he had a way with Yankees.

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes