European

1 of 2

adjective

Eu·​ro·​pe·​an ˌyu̇r-ə-ˈpē-ən 

-ˈpēn

: of, relating to, or characteristic of Europe or its people

Europeanness noun

European

2 of 2

noun

1

: a native or inhabitant of Europe

2

: a person of European descent

Examples of European in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Its group stage games — including ones against the reigning European champions Spain — could expose the gap between Saudi football’s commercial profile and the abilities of its own team. — Wael Mahdi, semafor.com, 16 June 2026

The streamer’s biggest European original starring David Tennant, Aidan Turner and Danny Dyer, which airs on Hulu in the States, will be back for a 12-episode season after Season 2 dropped to solid ratings and a strong set of reviews. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 16 June 2026

Noun

Hughton earned 59 caps for Ireland and was in their squads that qualified for major international tournaments for the first time (the 1988 European Championship and World Cup two years later). — Simon Hughes, New York Times, 17 June 2026

Several staple crops commonly grown in more vulnerable countries—including wheat, corn, and rice—will likely see price increases throughout the El Niño cycle, according to another forecast published Monday by the European Commission. — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 17 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1555, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing European

• European American
• European bison
• European chafer
• European corn borer
• European flat
• European flat oyster
• European hornet
• European mountain ash
• European oyster
• European plan
• European red mite
• Indo-European
• Indo-European languages
• non-European
• non-Indo-European
• smaller European elm bark beetle
• un-European

Rhymes for European

• aegean
• aptian
• boolean
• korean
• linnaean
• plebeian
• protean
• ruffian
• wolffian
• adlerian
• caesarian
• cyclopean

Kids Definition

European

1 of 2 adjective

Eu·​ro·​pe·​an ˌyu̇r-ə-ˈpē-ən 

: of or relating to Europe or its people

European

2 of 2 noun

1

: a person born or living in Europe

2

: a person of European ancestry