Definition
n. a person who comes from or lives in the United States. It can also describe someone from North or South America, though this is less common in everyday English.
n. a citizen or inhabitant of the United States of America; less commonly, a native or inhabitant of the North or South American continents.
Examples
“My new neighbor is an American from Chicago.”
“The museum exhibit features several famous Americans who changed the course of modern history.”
Examples
simple
“My new neighbor is an American from Chicago.”
contextual
“The museum exhibit features several famous Americans who changed the course of modern history.”
Usage
Capitalized in all contexts. When used to refer to the continents rather than the country, it is often preceded by 'North' or 'South' for clarity.
Real-World Examples
“The world’s most powerful nation responded by inflicting terror of its own, betraying its history as a safe harbour for immigrants and pitting Americans against one another.” “Americans may seem increasingly divided on beliefs and values, but in a new survey of more than 30,000 adults from across the country spanning generations and economic classes, a majority of Americans agree there’s a significant barrier to achieving a better life: the rising cost of living.” “Across the US a rising tide of censorship is sweeping through public schools and libraries, fundamentally reshaping what young Americans are permitted to read, learn and think.” “Three hundred and sixty-five days after Donald Trump swore his oath of office and completed an extraordinary return to power, many historians, scholars and experts say his presidency has pushed American democracy to the brink – or beyond it.” Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₃emh₃- 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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. American Dream
02. ugly American
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A1 · Beginner
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/american
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0