african
n. countablen. a person from Africa or someone whose family comes from there.
n. a native or inhabitant of Africa, or a person of African descent.
She is a proud African who grew up in Nairobi.
The conference brought together Africans from across the continent to discuss new trade agreements.
While the term encompasses a vast diversity of cultures and languages, many Africans find common ground in shared history and regional economic goals.
Attested as a noun in early New English Aphricane, Africans (plural), Middle English as Affrican, Aufrican and Old English as Africanas (“Africans”) (only plural). From Latin āfricānae, from āfricānus, from Āfricus. The adjective appears in the 16th century, as Affricane, Africane, African. Latin Āfricus is from Āfri (singular Āfer), the name of an ancient people of North Africa (near Carthage, in Tunisia), with the suffix -icus. āfricānus is formed by addition of the -ānus suffix. By surface analysis, Africa + -an.
When used as a noun to refer to a person, it must be capitalized.