Amer·i·can
ə-ˈmer-ə-kən 
-ˈmər-
-ˈmər-
-ˈme-rə-
plural Americans
1
: an Indigenous person 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
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
3 July 2026
Test your knowledge of cruise controversies, wedding whispers and more in this week's American Culture Quiz.
—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
3 July 2026
Olivia Wakim,
AJC.com,
4 July 2026
All that to say, a glass of rye whiskey, one of the oldest drinks in America and the original base of many of our earliest cocktails like Manhattans and Old Fashioneds, is an easy way to honor the scrappy American spirit.
—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
4 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for American
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Noun
But in decades past, not every girl saw themselves in American Girl growing up.
—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
3 July 2026
Test your knowledge of cruise controversies, wedding whispers and more in this week's American Culture Quiz.
—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
3 July 2026
Adjective
As a result, this region has had a hand in shaping much of the American food identity.
—
Olivia Wakim,
AJC.com,
4 July 2026
All that to say, a glass of rye whiskey, one of the oldest drinks in America and the original base of many of our earliest cocktails like Manhattans and Old Fashioneds, is an easy way to honor the scrappy American spirit.
—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
4 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for American
Cite this Entry
“American.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/American. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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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