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
Noun
This isn’t the first time JetBlue has come under fire for anti-trust issues: a U.S. judge similarly ordered JetBlue and American Airlines to end their alliance last year, which JetBlue subsequently decided not to appeal. Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2024 The actress revived the look for the American Cinema Editors (ACE) Awards on Sunday evening in Los Angeles. Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 Safavieh American Homes Collection Samantha Vintage Console Table Small pieces of furniture can go a long way in updating a space, and this small console packs a big style punch. Gabriela Izquierdo, Southern Living, 5 Mar. 2024 Meadows listed her endorsements as: The American Federation of Government Employees. Scott Wartman, The Enquirer, 5 Mar. 2024 The Biden administration’s Justice Department, which has fought against consolidation in several industries, previously killed a partnership between JetBlue and American Airlines on flights in New York and Boston. David Koenig, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024 On Tuesday, voters will head to the polls in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia; one territory, American Samoa, will also vote. Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Mar. 2024 Even so, American Fiction mostly works, largely because its star, Jeffrey Wright, channels the fighting spirit of Everett’s book even in this more audience-friendly context. TIME, 5 Mar. 2024 Additional award recipients included Colman Domingo, who was named best actor for his lead role in Rustin, and best supporting actor recipient Sterling K. Brown, who in his speech acknowledged the LGBTQ+ community for recognizing his portrayal of a newly out gay Black man in American Fiction. Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Well World Tour starting April 28 in Dublin, before hitting Europe and the UK ahead of the North American leg on Sept. 4 in State College, Pennsylvania. Ilana Kaplan, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024 While Abbott had a higher percentage of successes, Paxton secured important wins in key House and judicial races, said Cal Jillson, an American politics professor at Southern Methodist University. Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2024 About four in 10 North American users have encountered a scam on a dating app, while about two in 10 have fallen for one, according to estimates from cybersecurity company Kaspersky. Tatum Hunter, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Gauff did a joint interview with her doubles partner, the American player Jessica Pegula, and then a series of solo video interviews. Abby Aguirre, Vogue, 6 Mar. 2024 Among the 43 shows, Cudi is slated to bring the rage to New York City, Nashville, Philadelphia, Toronto, Montreal, Boston, Detroit, his hometown of Cleveland, Denver, Phoenix, San Diego, Las Vegas and Seattle, and wraps up the North American leg in Los Angeles on Aug. 30 at the Crypto.com Arena. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2024 Over the weekend, in Selma, Ala., at the annual event marking Bloody Sunday 1965, when state troopers beat Black protesters marching for the right to vote, organizers held events to attract young African American voters. Kyle Gassiott, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024 Topline Nvidia became the third American company in history to score a $2 trillion valuation, riding its post-earnings euphoria to the remarkable feat as investors fawn over the artificial intelligence chip designer’s growth story. Derek Saul, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 When the townspeople get ahold of the roving prisoners, their grief and anger turn into a violent, unrelenting massacre, with military escorts using the chaos to execute American prisoners at will. Hunter Ingram, Variety, 23 Feb. 2024

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

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

Dictionary Entries Near American

Cite this Entry

“American.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/American. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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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