American

/əˈmɛɹ.ɪ.kən/ adj, name, noun, slang

adj, name, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: A citizen or national of the United States of America.
  • Grammar: american is listed as adj, name, noun, slang.
  • Nearest alternatives: yank, american english, american historical context, american language.
  • Useful contrasts: french cohorte, french discipline, spanish continente lesson.
  • Usage evidence: Our American neighbor will have lived in Japan for five years next year.

How to use "american"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "american" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "american" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "american" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "american" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "american" is acting as adj, name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "yank" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "american", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A citizen or national of the United States of America.

    "Americans! your republican politics, not less than your republican religion, are flagrantly inconsistent. You boast of your love of liberty, your superior civilization, and your pure Christianity, while the whole political power of the nation... is solemnly pledged to support and perpetuate the enslavement of three millions of your countrymen."

  2. 2
    the English language as used in the United States wordnet
  3. 3
    Any inhabitant of the Americas.
  4. 4
    a native or inhabitant of a North American or Central American or South American country wordnet
  5. 5
    A citizen or inhabitant of British America. historical
Show 7 more definitions
  1. 6
    a native or inhabitant of the United States wordnet
  2. 7
    An indigenous inhabitant of the Americas. archaic

    "The Americans believe that all creatures have souls."

  3. 8
    An inhabitant of French or Spanish New World colonies. obsolete

    "1839, Washington Irving, 'National Nomenclature', The Knickerbocker In France, when I have announced myself as an American, I have been supposed to belong to one of the French colonies; in Spain, to be from Mexico, or Peru, or some other Spanish-American country."

  4. 9
    The dialect of English spoken in and around the contiguous United States of America. colloquial, humorous, informal

    "-A . Spanish ; my mother and father speak American ; my brothers and sisters speak Spanish ; when he is in the house , we speak American ; we have American prayers at night before we go to bed . Q. Is that usual in the families of the[…]"

  5. 10
    American cheese. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping

    "Q: What kinds of cheese do you have? A: We have American, Swiss, cheddar, provolone, or wiz."

  6. 11
    A steam locomotive of the 4-4-0 wheel arrangement.
  7. 12
    A size of type smaller than German, 1-point type. US, dated, rare, uncountable
Adjective
  1. 1
    Of, from, or pertaining to the United States of America, its people, or its culture.

    "He married an American woman in order to get an American passport."

  2. 2
    Of, from, or pertaining to the Americas. uncommon

    "This is pure American powder from the foothills of Colombia."

  3. 3
    Of, from, or pertaining to British North America. historical
  4. 4
    Of, from, or pertaining to the indigenous inhabitants of the Americas. archaic
  5. 5
    Able to be exercised on any date between its issue and expiry. not-comparable

    "All of these trade on the Chicago Board Options Exchange. Most of the contracts are European. An exception is the OEX contract on the S&P 100, which is American."

Adjective
  1. 1
    of or relating to or characteristic of the continents and islands of the Americas wordnet
  2. 2
    of or relating to the United States of America or its people or language or culture wordnet
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A township in Allen County, Ohio, United States.

Synonyms

All synonyms
yankamerican englishamerican historical contextamerican languageamerican residentamericana

Antonyms

french cohortefrench disciplinespanish continente lessonalien

Example

"Our American neighbor will have lived in Japan for five years next year."

Common questions

What does "american" mean?

A citizen or national of the United States of America.

What is a synonym for "american"?

Common synonyms include: yank, american english, american historical context, american language, american resident, americana.

How do you use "american" in a sentence?

Our American neighbor will have lived in Japan for five years next year.

How do you pronounce "american"?

Pronounced /əˈmɛɹ.ɪ.kən/.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *amalą Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h₃rḗǵs Proto-Celtic *rīxsbor. Proto-Germanic *rīks Proto-Germanic *Amalarīksder. Proto-Indo-European *ḱey- Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *ḱóymos Proto-Indo-European *tḱóymos Proto-Germanic *haimaz ▲ Proto-Germanic *rīks Proto-Germanic *Haimarīksder.? Italian Amerigoder. New Latin Americalbor. English America Middle English -n English -n English American From America + -n. compare Latin amerī̆canus.

More for "american"

Synonyms

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