americans

word · lemma: american

/əˈmɛɹəkənz/
uh-MAIR-uh-kuhnz
/əˈmeərəkənz/
uh-MAIR-uh-kuhnz

Definition

People from the United States. In some contexts, it can also mean people from the continents of North or South America, but in everyday English it usually means people from the U.S.

Usage & Nuances

Usually refers to people from the United States. Be aware that in some Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking contexts, this can feel imprecise because 'America' may refer to the whole continent. Capitalized as a nationality noun: 'Americans'. Singular: 'American'.

Example Sentences

The Americans in our class are from Texas and California.

basic

Many Americans speak only English at home.

basic

Some Americans eat a big breakfast, but others do not.

basic

The Americans I met on the trip were surprisingly quiet.

natural

A lot of Americans are really into college sports.

natural

Not all Americans think the same way, of course.

natural