Amer·i·can
ə-ˈmer-ə-kən 
-ˈmər-
-ˈmər-
-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
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
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
Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 22 Apr. 2024
The American Psychological Association also notes time spent outdoors can create improvements in mood, cognitive function and overall well-being, among other impacts.
—Kelly Livingston, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2024
Terry Anderson attends American Booksellers Association Convention on May 29, 1993 in Miami, Florida.
—CBS News, 22 Apr. 2024
Wisconsin first joined the global Trillion Trees Initiative, led by the World Economic Forum and American Forests, with an Evers executive order in 2021.
—Jessie Opoien, Journal Sentinel, 22 Apr. 2024
Garfield's American Way Market sat on the corner of Pierce and 10th streets for decades and served as the neighborhood's grocery store.
—Morgan Fischer, The Arizona Republic, 22 Apr. 2024
Emmy Russell continued her American Idol journey Sunday, singing for the chance to reach the Top 12.
—Chris Sims, The Courier-Journal, 22 Apr. 2024
Jurors also began to hear from the first witness: David Pecker, former CEO of American Media, the publishing company of the National Enquirer magazine.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 22 Apr. 2024
Yet, American Horror Story: Delicate, Diarra From Detroit, Mr. Bates vs. the Post Office, and more wrap up their seasons.
—Gerrad Hall, EW.com, 22 Apr. 2024
Naveen Kumar, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
Those shows brought the first North American leg of the Guts world tour to a close as the singer and songwriter gets ready to head over to Europe for nearly two full months of performances.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 11 Apr. 2024
Now, Frette has collaborated with the American fashion designer Thom Browne on a 10-piece collection that will be revealed during a performance at this year’s Salone del Mobile, the annual furniture and design fair held in Milan.
—Devorah Lev-Tov Kin Woo Ella Riley-Adams Jameson Montgomery Kurt Soller Megan O’Sullivan, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Criminologist John Fitzgerald from the University of Melbourne said the surge may have been caused by a drug dump, with supplies from North American drug cartels to Europe hamstrung by Russia’s war in Ukraine and other factors.
—Chris Lau, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
The crimes are linked to South American theft groups, said Capt. Francis Boateng, who oversees LAPD’s Commercial Crimes Division, which is investigating some of the robberies along with the California Highway Patrol.
—Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
The last American consumer drone model, Matus says, had been Snap’s Pixy, which the company issued a recall on in February due to overheating batteries that sometimes caught fire.
—Eva Dou, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
The 17-inch table was crafted from American black walnut wood – one of the most precious woods native to North America – and will include a plaque to commemorate the official visit.
—USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
By David Goldman | CNN New York — The Anti-Defamation League has graded 85 American universities for their policies to protect Jewish students from antisemitism on campus.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2024
Noun
The chef is winning over critics of the cut by sourcing Miyazaki A5 Wagyu, which has rich marbling of intramuscular fat that American Angus can’t match.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 22 Apr. 2024
The American Psychological Association also notes time spent outdoors can create improvements in mood, cognitive function and overall well-being, among other impacts.
—Kelly Livingston, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2024
Terry Anderson attends American Booksellers Association Convention on May 29, 1993 in Miami, Florida.
—CBS News, 22 Apr. 2024
Wisconsin first joined the global Trillion Trees Initiative, led by the World Economic Forum and American Forests, with an Evers executive order in 2021.
—Jessie Opoien, Journal Sentinel, 22 Apr. 2024
Garfield's American Way Market sat on the corner of Pierce and 10th streets for decades and served as the neighborhood's grocery store.
—Morgan Fischer, The Arizona Republic, 22 Apr. 2024
Emmy Russell continued her American Idol journey Sunday, singing for the chance to reach the Top 12.
—Chris Sims, The Courier-Journal, 22 Apr. 2024
Jurors also began to hear from the first witness: David Pecker, former CEO of American Media, the publishing company of the National Enquirer magazine.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 22 Apr. 2024
Yet, American Horror Story: Delicate, Diarra From Detroit, Mr. Bates vs. the Post Office, and more wrap up their seasons.
—Gerrad Hall, EW.com, 22 Apr. 2024
Adjective
Tough guys with a soft side have long held a firm grip on the American imagination.
—Naveen Kumar, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
Those shows brought the first North American leg of the Guts world tour to a close as the singer and songwriter gets ready to head over to Europe for nearly two full months of performances.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 11 Apr. 2024
Now, Frette has collaborated with the American fashion designer Thom Browne on a 10-piece collection that will be revealed during a performance at this year’s Salone del Mobile, the annual furniture and design fair held in Milan.
—Devorah Lev-Tov Kin Woo Ella Riley-Adams Jameson Montgomery Kurt Soller Megan O’Sullivan, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Criminologist John Fitzgerald from the University of Melbourne said the surge may have been caused by a drug dump, with supplies from North American drug cartels to Europe hamstrung by Russia’s war in Ukraine and other factors.
—Chris Lau, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
The crimes are linked to South American theft groups, said Capt. Francis Boateng, who oversees LAPD’s Commercial Crimes Division, which is investigating some of the robberies along with the California Highway Patrol.
—Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
The last American consumer drone model, Matus says, had been Snap’s Pixy, which the company issued a recall on in February due to overheating batteries that sometimes caught fire.
—Eva Dou, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
The 17-inch table was crafted from American black walnut wood – one of the most precious woods native to North America – and will include a plaque to commemorate the official visit.
—USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
By David Goldman | CNN New York — The Anti-Defamation League has graded 85 American universities for their policies to protect Jewish students from antisemitism on campus.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 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.
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Cite this Entry
“American.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/American. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
American
1 of 2 noun
Amer·i·can
ə-ˈmer-ə-kən
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 adjective1
: of or relating to North or South America or their residents
American coastline
2
: of or relating to the U.S. or its citizens
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