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.

---

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

---

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.

---

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

"It is the opposite of the Yankee Greater New England philosophy."

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

Courtesy of Yankee Magazine’s Amy Traverso, this simplified rendition of old-fashioned chicken and dumplings starts with store-bought chicken stock, a rotisserie chicken and drop dumplings.

From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026

If she extradited him to face Yankee justice, more targets would likely follow.

From Barron's ● May 7, 2026

Mr. Fowler is a communications specialist at the Yankee Institute, based in Hartford, Conn.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026

All I had to do was get my father to take me to Yankee Stadium.

From "Okay for Now" by Gary D. Schmidt

With all due respect to the acrimony of Yankees vs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

He led the Dodgers to the National League pennant in his first two full seasons, losing both times to the Yankees in the World Series.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

The big derby with the New York Yankees is on Sunday, or even the Washington Nationals game on Tuesday.

From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026

Playing in goal for the U.S. men’s national soccer team is a little like playing right field for the Yankees.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026

“Okay, try this one: How many American League pennants did the Yankees win under Casey Stengel?”

From "Okay for Now" by Gary D. Schmidt