Amer·i·can
ə-ˈmer-ə-kən 
-ˈmər-
-ˈmər-
-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
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
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
Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
In the third and most recent film, Zellweger’s Bridget entertains a new romance with American Jack Qwant (Patrick Dempsey), and winds up in yet another love triangle — this time with Jack and Mark, the potential fathers of her baby.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
The last round of federal stimulus funding, consisting of a multi-billion-dollar investment issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic through the American Rescue Plan Act, expired at the end of September.
—Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2024
The American Chemistry Council, an association that represents US chemical, plastics and chlorine industries, took issue with the underlying science used to develop the new standards.
—Jen Christensen, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
There are five more free entry dates this year:
April 20 – First day of National Park Week
June 19 - Juneteenth
Aug. 4 – Great American Outdoors Day
Sept. 28 – National Public Lands Day
Nov. 11 – Veterans Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day was also an entry-fee-free day in January.
—Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024
The review, which researchers presented on April 7 at an American College of Cardiology (ACC) annual conference, suggests that the risk is especially heightened for women.
—Maggie O'Neill, Health, 10 Apr. 2024
In recent years, the Alliance of American Football gained early traction with broadcasts on CBS and elsewhere before collapsing under shaky finances.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 29 Mar. 2024
Huskies’ first National Championship. 2003 — Michelle Kwan becomes the third American to win five World Figure Skating Championships.
—Austin Knoblauch, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Naveen Kumar, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
Those shows brought the first North American leg of the Guts world tour to a close as the singer and songwriter gets ready to head over to Europe for nearly two full months of performances.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 11 Apr. 2024
Now, Frette has collaborated with the American fashion designer Thom Browne on a 10-piece collection that will be revealed during a performance at this year’s Salone del Mobile, the annual furniture and design fair held in Milan.
—Devorah Lev-Tov Kin Woo Ella Riley-Adams Jameson Montgomery Kurt Soller Megan O’Sullivan, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Criminologist John Fitzgerald from the University of Melbourne said the surge may have been caused by a drug dump, with supplies from North American drug cartels to Europe hamstrung by Russia’s war in Ukraine and other factors.
—Chris Lau, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
The crimes are linked to South American theft groups, said Capt. Francis Boateng, who oversees LAPD’s Commercial Crimes Division, which is investigating some of the robberies along with the California Highway Patrol.
—Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
The last American consumer drone model, Matus says, had been Snap’s Pixy, which the company issued a recall on in February due to overheating batteries that sometimes caught fire.
—Eva Dou, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
The 17-inch table was crafted from American black walnut wood – one of the most precious woods native to North America – and will include a plaque to commemorate the official visit.
—USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
By David Goldman | CNN New York — The Anti-Defamation League has graded 85 American universities for their policies to protect Jewish students from antisemitism on campus.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2024
Noun
The 69-year-old star, co-writer and director of the westerns, set during the American Civil War, appeared for distributor Warner Bros.’ presentation of upcoming titles at CinemaCon 2024 in Las Vegas on April 9.
—Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
In the third and most recent film, Zellweger’s Bridget entertains a new romance with American Jack Qwant (Patrick Dempsey), and winds up in yet another love triangle — this time with Jack and Mark, the potential fathers of her baby.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
The last round of federal stimulus funding, consisting of a multi-billion-dollar investment issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic through the American Rescue Plan Act, expired at the end of September.
—Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2024
The American Chemistry Council, an association that represents US chemical, plastics and chlorine industries, took issue with the underlying science used to develop the new standards.
—Jen Christensen, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
There are five more free entry dates this year:
April 20 – First day of National Park Week
June 19 - Juneteenth
Aug. 4 – Great American Outdoors Day
Sept. 28 – National Public Lands Day
Nov. 11 – Veterans Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day was also an entry-fee-free day in January.
—Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024
The review, which researchers presented on April 7 at an American College of Cardiology (ACC) annual conference, suggests that the risk is especially heightened for women.
—Maggie O'Neill, Health, 10 Apr. 2024
In recent years, the Alliance of American Football gained early traction with broadcasts on CBS and elsewhere before collapsing under shaky finances.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 29 Mar. 2024
Huskies’ first National Championship. 2003 — Michelle Kwan becomes the third American to win five World Figure Skating Championships.
—Austin Knoblauch, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Tough guys with a soft side have long held a firm grip on the American imagination.
—Naveen Kumar, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
Those shows brought the first North American leg of the Guts world tour to a close as the singer and songwriter gets ready to head over to Europe for nearly two full months of performances.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 11 Apr. 2024
Now, Frette has collaborated with the American fashion designer Thom Browne on a 10-piece collection that will be revealed during a performance at this year’s Salone del Mobile, the annual furniture and design fair held in Milan.
—Devorah Lev-Tov Kin Woo Ella Riley-Adams Jameson Montgomery Kurt Soller Megan O’Sullivan, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Criminologist John Fitzgerald from the University of Melbourne said the surge may have been caused by a drug dump, with supplies from North American drug cartels to Europe hamstrung by Russia’s war in Ukraine and other factors.
—Chris Lau, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
The crimes are linked to South American theft groups, said Capt. Francis Boateng, who oversees LAPD’s Commercial Crimes Division, which is investigating some of the robberies along with the California Highway Patrol.
—Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
The last American consumer drone model, Matus says, had been Snap’s Pixy, which the company issued a recall on in February due to overheating batteries that sometimes caught fire.
—Eva Dou, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
The 17-inch table was crafted from American black walnut wood – one of the most precious woods native to North America – and will include a plaque to commemorate the official visit.
—USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
By David Goldman | CNN New York — The Anti-Defamation League has graded 85 American universities for their policies to protect Jewish students from antisemitism on campus.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'American.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing American
Articles Related to American
Dictionary Entries Near American
Cite this Entry
“American.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/American. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
American
1 of 2 noun
Amer·i·can
ə-ˈmer-ə-kən
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 adjective1
: of or relating to North or South America or their residents
American coastline
2
: of or relating to the U.S. or its citizens
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