american

Language: en

🇬🇧 /əˈmɛrɪkən/ 🇺🇸 /əˈmɛrəkən/

📖 Definitions

  1. noun
    A native or inhabitant of the United States of America.; A native or inhabitant of any country in North or South America.; The American English language variety, as distinct from British English.; A type of cocktail made with bourbon, sweet vermouth, and Campari.; A style of billiards or pool game played in the United States.; A type of large, broad-bodied automobile manufactured in the United States.
  2. adjective
    Of or relating to the United States of America, its people, or its culture.; Of or relating to the continents of North and South America or their inhabitants.; Characteristic of or associated with the United States; typically implying informality, boldness, or pragmatism.
  3. noun
    A member of the indigenous peoples of the Americas; a Native American.; A type of cheese, typically a processed cheese product common in the United States.; A type of coffee drink consisting of espresso diluted with hot water.

🔗 Details

Word forms

countable Plural: Americans Comparative: more American Superlative: most American

Collocations

American dreamAmerican EnglishAmerican cultureNative AmericanAfrican AmericanAmerican way of lifeall-American

Derivatives

AmericanizeAmericanizationAmericanismAmericanaun-AmericanAfrican AmericanLatin AmericanNative American

Synonyms

U.S.StatesideYankee

Commonly confused

America
EN: 'America' is the noun for the country or continent; 'American' is the adjective or the noun for a person from that country.
Americas
EN: 'Americas' refers to the continents (North and South America collectively); 'American' refers to something or someone from the United States or the Americas.

Spelling tips

EN: Always capitalized as it is a proper adjective and proper noun. Do not write 'american' in formal writing.

💬 Examples

  1. She is an American who grew up in Ohio.

  2. The term 'American' can refer to people from any nation in the Americas.

  3. He preferred to write in American rather than British English.

  4. The bartender prepared an American with a twist of lemon.

  5. They played American at the local pool hall.

  6. He drove a classic American with chrome bumpers and a V8 engine.

  7. American culture has had a profound influence on global entertainment.

  8. The American continent stretches from the Arctic to the Antarctic.

  9. His American optimism was infectious.

  10. The museum featured artifacts made by early Americans thousands of years ago.