African

1 of 2

noun

Af·​ri·​can ˈa-fri-kən How to pronounce African (audio)
 also  ˈä-
1
: a native or inhabitant of Africa
2
: a person and especially a Black person of African ancestry

African

2 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or characteristic of the continent of Africa or its people
Africanness noun

Examples of African in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Fifty years after founding what is now Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts + Culture in Charlotte, civil rights activist and a champion of education, Bertha Maxwell-Roddey died Thursday. Catherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 23 Mar. 2024 Certain presidents and regional organizations seen as French allies are tarnished by association, like the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, a confederation of countries that is often accused of condemning military coups but not power grabs by sitting presidents. Ruth MacLean, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024 During the pandemic, the African Conservancies Fund supported around 100,000 people in the Maasai Mara, replacing tourism income while safeguarding ecosystems. Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Mar. 2024 She’s been honored many times, including tributes from the Kennedy Center, Americans for the Arts, the Shoah Foundation and the California African American Museum. Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2024 Considering also your experience as Founder and Director of the African Artists' Foundation, how these photographers in Reflecting B(l)ack contribute to the ongoing evolution of the black aesthetic? Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 20 Mar. 2024 Since the publication of the Reparation Task Force’s report last June, several Assembly members have proposed bills that would offer an apology and provide compensation to African Americans who lost property due to discriminatory policies. Jonathan Van Harmelen, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024 While the African Americans comprise approximately 14% of the U.S. population, only 2.3% are owners of employer firms. Rohit Arora, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 The researchers assessed the pledges of 35 different countries participating in the African Forest Restoration Initiative (AFR100), which aims to restore 100 million hectares of forest across Africa by 2030. Popular Science, 15 Feb. 2024
Adjective
The one thing to keep in mind is that the African cruise market is less mature than the Caribbean – at many ports, there just aren’t comparable facilities to handle big ships. Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2024 This East African country is seeing growing interest in bamboo, a perennial plant cultivated in many parts of the world. Rodney Muhumuza, Quartz, 24 Mar. 2024 Local community vendors were also present, including the Crocker Art Museum, The SOL Project, an advocate for smoke-free African American communities; and the Sacramento Job Corps Center, a trade school in the area. Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 24 Mar. 2024 Expert cruise reporter David Swanson sailed around the Seychelles to find everything the East African cruise destination has to offer. David Swanson, Travel + Leisure, 24 Mar. 2024 Founded in 2012 with the ambition of making quality African content accessible on all media, Marodi TV boasts a catalogue of over 600 hours of content, as well as a community of 6 million subscribers on YouTube. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 22 Mar. 2024 And African countries with no historical link to France are not exempt: Leaders in Rwanda, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, for example, brook no dissent. Ruth MacLean, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024 Like Swift, Copeland has been a trailblazer in her profession after becoming the first African American woman to be a principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre in 2015. Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 22 Mar. 2024 But civil society and opposition groups in the East African nation accuse Ruto of trying to financially profit from the situation. Larry Madowo, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'African.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English Aufrican, Affrican, going back to Old English Africanas (plural), borrowed from Latin Āfricānus african entry 2

Adjective

borrowed from Latin Āfricānus, from Āfrica (short for Āfrica terra, literally, "African land," from feminine of Āfricus "of the Roman province of Africa [present-day northern Tunisia], of the continent of Africa," from Āfr-, Āfer "of Africa, inhabitant of North Africa [other than Egypt]" —of unknown origin— + -icus -ic entry 1) + -ānus -an entry 2

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1548, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of African was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near African

Cite this Entry

“African.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/African. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

African

noun
Af·​ri·​can
ˈaf-ri-kən
1
: a person born or living in Africa
2
: a person of African ancestry
African adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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