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
CBS News, 4 May 2024
Boeing has long-standing and historic ties to the aerospace industry in Southern California — the Apollo command and service modules were built at North American Aviation’s plant in Downey.
—Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2024
What was surprising, though, was the De Ville Mini Trésor fellow Omega ambassador Nicole Kidman wore to receive the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 4 May 2024
Now: Velásquez hasn't stopped working since, appearing on everything from American Family and The L Word to Ugly Betty and Rescue Me.
—Kate Hogan, Peoplemag, 4 May 2024
Three bodies have been discovered in a popular Mexican tourist area where an American and two Australians suddenly vanished last week having been on an apparent camping and surfing trip, the local prosecutor's office said in a statement late on Friday.
—Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 4 May 2024
In doing so, Ratcliffe was acting like an American, as one commenter put it, responding to a BBC article.
—Bruce Schoenfeld Robert Fass Anna Diamond David Mason, New York Times, 4 May 2024
The onetime scenic designer also received Drama Desk nominations in 1977 and 1998, respectively, for producing American Buffalo, starring Robert Duvall in David Mamet‘s Broadway debut, and Douglas Carter Beane’s As Bees in Honey Drown.
—Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 May 2024
The second baseman, who won an American League batting title for the Minnesota Twins in 2022 before a trade to Miami, was the Marlins’ top hitter this season with a .299 average.
—Miami Herald, 4 May 2024
Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2024
This is not the American health care system’s first crippling cyberattack, of course.
—Erika Fry, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2024
The company is among 130 in the sector active in Morocco, where parts ranging from wings to fuselages are produced in an industry that employs 42% women — a proportion that industry lobbyists say is larger than its European and North American manufacturing industry counterparts.
—Sam Metz, Quartz, 23 Apr. 2024
Eventually, a more sophisticated Cuban American community learned to work within the U.S. political system, aligning primarily with the Republican Party, whose leaders, from Ronald Reagan to Donald Trump, appealed directly to the exiles.
—Richard Feinberg, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
So far, American negotiators have been unwilling to push for measures in the treaty that would drive big cuts in plastic waste, critics say, like caps on manufacturing.
—Michael Copley, NPR, 23 Apr. 2024
Delegates traveled to the United States to scout out flying schools that could teach young Chinese American pilots to fly for China.
—Susan Tate Ankeny, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Apr. 2024
The film is an authentic portrayal of Emma Schmidt, an American woman whose demonic possession culminated in harrowing exorcisms.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 23 Apr. 2024
Overall, hate crimes reported across 25 American cities increased last year by an average of 17% from 2022, according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University.
—Susan Loyer, USA TODAY, 23 Apr. 2024
Noun
Shelters have opened across the region, including nine by the American Red Cross.
—CBS News, 4 May 2024
Boeing has long-standing and historic ties to the aerospace industry in Southern California — the Apollo command and service modules were built at North American Aviation’s plant in Downey.
—Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2024
What was surprising, though, was the De Ville Mini Trésor fellow Omega ambassador Nicole Kidman wore to receive the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 4 May 2024
Now: Velásquez hasn't stopped working since, appearing on everything from American Family and The L Word to Ugly Betty and Rescue Me.
—Kate Hogan, Peoplemag, 4 May 2024
Three bodies have been discovered in a popular Mexican tourist area where an American and two Australians suddenly vanished last week having been on an apparent camping and surfing trip, the local prosecutor's office said in a statement late on Friday.
—Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 4 May 2024
In doing so, Ratcliffe was acting like an American, as one commenter put it, responding to a BBC article.
—Bruce Schoenfeld Robert Fass Anna Diamond David Mason, New York Times, 4 May 2024
The onetime scenic designer also received Drama Desk nominations in 1977 and 1998, respectively, for producing American Buffalo, starring Robert Duvall in David Mamet‘s Broadway debut, and Douglas Carter Beane’s As Bees in Honey Drown.
—Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 May 2024
The second baseman, who won an American League batting title for the Minnesota Twins in 2022 before a trade to Miami, was the Marlins’ top hitter this season with a .299 average.
—Miami Herald, 4 May 2024
Adjective
First, nothing is being forgiven — the debt is simply being transferred onto the shoulders of the American taxpayers.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2024
This is not the American health care system’s first crippling cyberattack, of course.
—Erika Fry, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2024
The company is among 130 in the sector active in Morocco, where parts ranging from wings to fuselages are produced in an industry that employs 42% women — a proportion that industry lobbyists say is larger than its European and North American manufacturing industry counterparts.
—Sam Metz, Quartz, 23 Apr. 2024
Eventually, a more sophisticated Cuban American community learned to work within the U.S. political system, aligning primarily with the Republican Party, whose leaders, from Ronald Reagan to Donald Trump, appealed directly to the exiles.
—Richard Feinberg, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
So far, American negotiators have been unwilling to push for measures in the treaty that would drive big cuts in plastic waste, critics say, like caps on manufacturing.
—Michael Copley, NPR, 23 Apr. 2024
Delegates traveled to the United States to scout out flying schools that could teach young Chinese American pilots to fly for China.
—Susan Tate Ankeny, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Apr. 2024
The film is an authentic portrayal of Emma Schmidt, an American woman whose demonic possession culminated in harrowing exorcisms.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 23 Apr. 2024
Overall, hate crimes reported across 25 American cities increased last year by an average of 17% from 2022, according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University.
—Susan Loyer, USA TODAY, 23 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.
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Cite this Entry
“American.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/American. Accessed 7 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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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