Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

1

African

noun Af·ri·can \ ˈa-fri-kən also ˈä- \
See What's Trending Now See More Trending Words

Definition of African

1 : a native or inhabitant of Africa
2 : a person and especially a black person of African ancestry

See African defined for English-language learners

See African defined for kids

Origin and Etymology of african

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

2

African

adjective

Definition of African

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

Africanness

play \-kə(n)-nəs\ noun

Origin and Etymology of african

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 1-ic) + -ānus 2-an

AFRICAN Defined for English Language Learners

African

noun

Definition of African for English Language Learners

  • : a person born, raised, or living in Africa

  • : a descendant of Africans

AFRICAN Defined for Kids

1

African

noun Af·ri·can \ ˈa-fri-kən \

Definition of African for Students

: a person born or living in Africa
2

African

adjective

Definition of African for Students

: of or relating to Africa or African people
  • African history
  • African wildlife

Learn More about african

  1. Spanish Central: Translation of African Nglish: Translation of African for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of African for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up African? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

cajole

play

to coax or persuade

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. embolization 'the process by which a blood vessel or organ is obstructed by a material mass'

  2. oleaginous 'marked by an offensively ingratiating manner or quality'

  3. pansexual 'sexual desire or attraction...not limited to a particular gender identity or sexual orientation'

  4. symbiote 'an organism living in symbiosis'

  5. charlatan 'faker or fraud'

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

African

Test Your Vocabulary

May 2018 Words of the Day Quiz

  • spring-flowers
  • Which is a synonym of raillery?
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Bee Cubed

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

alt-5b05d8545c817
'Folksonomy': Let’s Get Organized

Tag the way you want to tag.

image564383649
12 Words from All Over the Map

Some words say exactly where they're from

alt-5b032d1aef0e9
'Ingenious' and 'Ingenuous': More Than a Typo

One's clever, the other's like a child

alt-5b0310daaafde
A Matter-of-Fact Look at 'Deadpan'

Surely we can be serious.

Ask the Editors

video-ghost-words
Ghost Word

The story of an imaginary word that managed to sneak past our editors and enter the dictionary.

image1760257654
2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

How we chose 'feminism'

video-literally
Literally

How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.

video-his-or-her
Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'

Word Games

spring-flowers
May 2018 Words of the Day Quiz

We’re already at the end of May?!

Take the quiz
image1676440788
Words Used by Nabokov Quiz

How familiar are you with Nabokov’s unfamiliar vocabulary?

Take the quiz
True or False
True or False?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

Take the quiz
Bee Cubed
Bee Cubed

Listen to the words and spell through all three levels.

Play the game