all-Amer·i·can
ˌȯl-ə-ˈmer-ə-kən 
-ˈme-rə-
1
a
or less commonly all-America
ˌȯl-ə-ˈmer-ə-kə
: selected (as by a poll of journalists) as one of the best in the U.S. in a particular category at a particular time
-ˈme-rə-
an all-American quarterback
b
: having only all-American participants
an all-American basketball team
2
: composed wholly of American elements
3
: representative or typical of the U.S. or its ideals
an all-American boy
her all-American optimism
4
: of or relating to the American nations as a group
1
or less commonly all-America
: one (such as an athlete) that is voted all-American
2
: one that has all-American qualities or characteristics
a clean-cut all-American
Examples of all-American in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2025
Per Harper's Bazaar, the show featured breezy attire in the brand's classic, all-American style.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
oregonlive, 23 Mar. 2023
As in David Lynch’s Blue Velvet (1986), a young man descends into a twilight zone behind an explicitly all-American façade.
—Ed Park, The New York Review of Books, 14 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for all-American
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Adjective
What this all-American guy needs is casual footwear that’s stylish and comfortable, whether for work or walking the dog as his form of exercise, the cofounder explained.
—Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2025
Per Harper's Bazaar, the show featured breezy attire in the brand's classic, all-American style.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
Cole recalled this time as a stab at conventional all-American life – at least on the surface.
—oregonlive, 23 Mar. 2023
As in David Lynch’s Blue Velvet (1986), a young man descends into a twilight zone behind an explicitly all-American façade.
—Ed Park, The New York Review of Books, 14 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for all-American
Cite this Entry
“All-American.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/all-American. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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