American

1 of 2

noun

Amer·​i·​can ə-ˈmer-ə-kən How to pronounce American (audio) -ˈmər- How to pronounce American (audio)
-ˈme-rə-
1
: an American Indian of North America or South America
2
: a native or inhabitant of North America or South America
3
: a native or inhabitant of the U.S. : a U.S. citizen
4

American

2 of 2

adjective

1
: of or relating to America
American people
2
: of or relating to the U.S. or its possessions or original territory
American soldiers
American embassies
American states
American culture
Americanness
ə-ˈmer-ə-kə(n)-nəs How to pronounce American (audio)
-ˈmər-
-ˈme-rə-
noun

Examples of American in a Sentence

Noun Americans in all 50 states. The President's speech began with the words “My fellow Americans…”.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
At some point we are bound to reach a similar point in American Soccer, one of saturation or even oversaturation. Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025 The problem is oversight over how those interactions go, said Gupta, with the American Immigration Council. Ana Ceballos, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2025
Adjective
One thing the revolution in remote and hybrid work enabled: Mothers of the youngest children flooded into the work force, adding to a record number of American women with paying jobs. Aatish Bhatia, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2025 Trump’s trade war and his talk of making Canada the 51st U.S. state have infuriated Canadians, who are booing the American anthem at NHL and NBA games. Rob Gillies, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for American

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1568, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of American was in 1568

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“American.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/American. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

American

1 of 2 noun
Amer·​i·​can ə-ˈmer-ə-kən How to pronounce American (audio)
1
: a person born or living in North America or South America
especially : a citizen of the U.S.
2
: the English language used in the U.S.

American

2 of 2 adjective
1
: of or relating to North or South America or their residents
American coastline
2
: of or relating to the U.S. or its citizens
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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