Definitions for American
əˈmɛr ɪ kənAmer·i·can

Princeton's WordNet(1.90 / 29 votes)Rate this definition:

1. American(noun)

   a native or inhabitant of the United States

2. American English, American language, American(noun)

   the English language as used in the United States

3. American(adj)

   a native or inhabitant of a North American or Central American or South American country

4. American(adj)

   of or relating to the United States of America or its people or language or culture

   "American citizens"; "American English"; "the American dream"

5. American(adj)

   of or relating to or characteristic of the continents and islands of the Americas

   "the American hemisphere"; "American flora and fauna"

Wiktionary(3.00 / 7 votes)Rate this definition:

1. American(Noun)

   An inhabitant of the Americas. More often this is specified as either North American, Central American or South American.

   Every American's origin is, historically speaking, by immigration, if scientific speculation that points to a human origin in Asia and a migration to the New World over frozen Bering Strait turns out to be correct.

   Etymology: * , or via Modified Latin Americanus with the same etymology.

2. American(Noun)

   A person born in, or a citizen or inhabitant of, the United States of America.

   She went from Mexico to the USA before she gave birth, so her child would be an American.

   Etymology: * , or via Modified Latin Americanus with the same etymology.

3. American(Adjective)

   Of or pertaining to the Americas. More often this is specified as either "North American" or "South American."

   Etymology: * , or via Modified Latin Americanus with the same etymology.

4. American(Adjective)

   Of, from, or pertaining to the United States of America, its people or its culture.

   Etymology: * , or via Modified Latin Americanus with the same etymology.

5. American(ProperNoun)

   The English language as spoken in the USA; American English.

   Etymology: * , or via Modified Latin Americanus with the same etymology.

Webster Dictionary(2.00 / 5 votes)Rate this definition:

1. American(adj)

   of or pertaining to America; as, the American continent: American Indians

   Etymology: [Named from Americus Vespucius.]

2. American(adj)

   of or pertaining to the United States

   Etymology: [Named from Americus Vespucius.]

3. American(noun)

   a native of America; -- originally applied to the aboriginal inhabitants, but now applied to the descendants of Europeans born in America, and especially to the citizens of the United States

   Etymology: [Named from Americus Vespucius.]

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(1.00 / 4 votes)Rate this definition:

1. American

   a-mer′ik-an, adj. pertaining to America, esp. to the United States.—n. a native of America.—v.t. Amer′icanise, to render American.—n. Amer′icanism, a custom, characteristic, word, phrase, or idiom peculiar to Americans: condition of being an American citizen: devotion to American institutions. [From America, so called unfairly from Amerigo Vespucci, a navigator who explored a small part of South America seven years after the first voyage of Columbus.]

Suggested Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. american

   Quotes by american -- Explore a large variety of famous quotes made by american on the Quotes.net website.

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'American' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #592

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'American' in Written Corpus Frequency: #1294

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'American' in Nouns Frequency: #1250

4. Adjectives Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'American' in Adjectives Frequency: #71

Anagrams for American »

1. in camera

2. amacrine

How to pronounce American?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say American in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of American in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of American in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of American in a Sentence

1. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders:

   We're revitalizing American democracy and if we're going to change America, that's what we've got to do.

2. Steven Mnuchin:

   The President has released plenty of information and I think has given more financial disclosure than anybody else, i think the American population has plenty of information on it.

3. The Cuban-born Mayorkas:

   The principles of homeland and security have been tremendously important in shaping my life. My father and mother brought me to this country to escape communism and to provide me with the security, opportunity and pride that American citizenship brings to each of us.

4. State Mike Pompeo on Monday:

   The exact timing of those we are still coordinating with the Chinese government but we anticipate that they will happen in the next handful of days... we'll return those American citizens, we may well end up bringing some citizens back from other countries as well. We're working through the details on that.

5. Heather Nauert:

   The overall assertions that have come out of the Russian government are absolutely absurd, the fact that they want to question 11 American citizens and the assertions American citizens -- we do not stand by those assertions that the Russian government makes. The prosecutor general in Russia is well aware that the United States has rejected Russian allegations in this regard.

Images & Illustrations of American

Popularity rank by frequency of use