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
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Noun
Alongside Chihuahuas, the French bulldogs take second place, followed by the American Pit Bull Terrier. Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 8 Sep. 2025 The Blue Jays first built their American League East lead with a four-game sweep of the Yankees in July. Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025 During my First Term, few were more effective or tenacious than Peter in enforcing my two sacred rules, Buy American, Hire American. Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025 City and Milwaukee County taxpayers are ahead of schedule for payments for renovations at American Family Field. Ricardo Torres, jsonline.com, 8 Sep. 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 10 Sep. 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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