all-American

1 of 2

adjective

all-Amer·​i·​can ˌȯl-ə-ˈmer-ə-kən 

-ˈme-rə-

1

a

or less commonly all-America

ˌȯl-ə-ˈmer-ə-kə   

-ˈme-rə-

: selected (as by a poll of journalists) as one of the best in the U.S. in a particular category at a particular time

an all-American quarterback

b

: having only all-American participants

an all-American basketball team

2

: composed wholly of American elements

3

: representative or typical of the U.S. or its ideals

an all-American boy

her all-American optimism

4

: of or relating to the American nations as a group

all-American

2 of 2

noun

1

or less commonly all-America : one (such as an athlete) that is voted all-American

2

: one that has all-American qualities or characteristics

a wholesome all-American

Examples of all-American in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

After you're done chowing down, make for the Santa Monica Pier, where Route 66 finally runs out of road, and the Pacific Ocean rolls in—a fittingly cinematic finale to this all-American adventure. —Zoey Goto, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2026

In the 140 years since his capture, the Apache leader has been transformed into a kitschy, all-American icon, his weary visage appearing on cheap Etsy merch bearing slogans such as Never Quit. —Carolina A. Miranda, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026

Noun

Cole recalled this time as a stab at conventional all-American life – at least on the surface. —oregonlive, 23 Mar. 2023

As in David Lynch’s Blue Velvet (1986), a young man descends into a twilight zone behind an explicitly all-American façade. —Ed Park, The New York Review of Books, 14 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1887, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1888, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for all-American

• american

Kids Definition

all-American

adjective

all-Amer·​i·​can

ˌȯ-lə-ˈmer-ə-kən

1

: representing or typical of the U.S. or its ideals

an all-American boy

2

: selected as the best in the U.S.

the all-American football team

all-American noun