South American
adjective
: of, relating to, or characteristic of South America (a continent of the western hemisphere lying between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans southeast of North America) or its people
South American
noun
plural South Americans
Examples of South American in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The South American roster of Leviatán took down Global Esports and NRG in the Swiss Stage to advance to the playoff bracket, but were then met with a formidable foe in the shape of Paper Rex.
—
Mike Stubbs,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
His election marked a historic shift for the South American country, governed almost continuously since 2006 by Bolivia’s Movement to Socialism, or MAS.
—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
Uruguay, a traditional South American competitor that entered the World Cup ranked in the international top 20, would be the heavy favorite over Cape Verde, an African island nation with fewer than half a million citizens that was also making its first-ever appearance in the World Cup.
—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
20 June 2026
The two South American sides served up a great game in front of a manic crowd which, as well as locals, contained thousands of Argentinians who had been brought over on boats just for the occasion.
—
Will Jeanes,
New York Times,
20 June 2026
As the world’s largest seafood producer, China maintains an extensive distant-water fishing fleet made up of thousands of vessels, including squid boats operating across major fishing grounds worldwide, particularly near the South American coast.
—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
20 June 2026
The home kit — worn by Lionel Messi for his hat trick against Algeria on Tuesday — features three shades of blue on its stripes, an homage to the South American nation’s World Cup-winning uniforms from 1978, 1986 and 2022.
—
Steve Douglas,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
The South American nation’s opponent, the small island nation of Curaçao, had a smaller presence at the festivities on Friday, but fans still showed up to support their team.
—
Alexa Newsom,
Kansas City Star,
19 June 2026
More recently, Haiti received another visit by the Brazilian national team when the South American nation led the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the country after 2004’s bloody coup.
—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Mike Stubbs,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
His election marked a historic shift for the South American country, governed almost continuously since 2006 by Bolivia’s Movement to Socialism, or MAS.
—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
Uruguay, a traditional South American competitor that entered the World Cup ranked in the international top 20, would be the heavy favorite over Cape Verde, an African island nation with fewer than half a million citizens that was also making its first-ever appearance in the World Cup.
—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
20 June 2026
The two South American sides served up a great game in front of a manic crowd which, as well as locals, contained thousands of Argentinians who had been brought over on boats just for the occasion.
—
Will Jeanes,
New York Times,
20 June 2026
As the world’s largest seafood producer, China maintains an extensive distant-water fishing fleet made up of thousands of vessels, including squid boats operating across major fishing grounds worldwide, particularly near the South American coast.
—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
20 June 2026
The home kit — worn by Lionel Messi for his hat trick against Algeria on Tuesday — features three shades of blue on its stripes, an homage to the South American nation’s World Cup-winning uniforms from 1978, 1986 and 2022.
—
Steve Douglas,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
The South American nation’s opponent, the small island nation of Curaçao, had a smaller presence at the festivities on Friday, but fans still showed up to support their team.
—
Alexa Newsom,
Kansas City Star,
19 June 2026
More recently, Haiti received another visit by the Brazilian national team when the South American nation led the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the country after 2004’s bloody coup.
—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“South American.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/South%20American. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
