European

1 of 2

adjective

Eu·​ro·​pe·​an ˌyu̇r-ə-ˈpē-ən How to pronounce European (audio)
-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
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.
Adjective
The Valiant had a European look that wasn’t widely appreciated, the Corvair had the rear engine challenge and the Falcon had more traditional styling. David Krumboltz, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024 In an emergency stop, the Vanquish’s Brembo carbon ceramic brakes halt progress from 100 kph (62 mph) in less than 30 meters (98.4 feet), a common European benchmark for truly superlative braking. Dan Carney, Popular Science, 7 Nov. 2024
Noun
The European Commission has launched a formal investigation into Corning for possibly abusing its market dominance in supplying its protective glass to electronics vendors. Michael Kan, PCMAG, 6 Nov. 2024 Watch on Deadline For the first time this year, under new rules announced last summer, films nominated for Best European Documentary and Best Animated Feature Film are also eligible in the Best European Film category. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for European 

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1555, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of European was in 1555

Dictionary Entries Near European

Cite this Entry

“European.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/European. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

European

1 of 2 adjective
Eu·​ro·​pe·​an ˌyu̇r-ə-ˈpē-ən How to pronounce European (audio)
: 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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!