African
Americanadjective
noun
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a native or inhabitant of Africa.
-
(loosely) a Black person or other person of African ancestry.
adjective
noun
-
a native, inhabitant, or citizen of any of the countries of Africa
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a member or descendant of any of the peoples of Africa, esp a Black person
Other Word Forms
- Africanness noun
- inter-African adjective
- non-African adjective
- proAfrican adjective
- pseudo-African adjective
- trans-African adjective
Etymology
Origin of African
First recorded before 1000 for noun, 1540–60 for adjective; Middle English noun Affrican, Aufrican “an inhabitant of North Africa or the Roman province of Africa (approximately modern Tunisia),” Old English noun Africanas “Africans” (accusative plural), from Late Latin Āfricānus “an inhabitant of Africa,” from Latin adjective Āfricānus “pertaining to Africa, African,” from Āfrica (short for terra Āfrica “African land”) “the continent of Africa, the Roman province of Africa,” a derivative of Āfrī, plural of adjective and noun Āfer ( Āfra, Āfrum ) “pertaining to Africa, African,” as a noun “an inhabitant of North Africa”; further etymology uncertain; possibly akin to Phoenician ʾafar “dust”; possibly the name of a local Libyan tribe ancestral to the Berbers
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
According to a short biography he apparently sent to Epstein, he studied Law and Chinese Law at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.
From BBC
A growing number of African countries have in recent months begun to discover that their citizens have been duped into fighting for the Russian army, and either killed or captured on the battlefield.
From Barron's
Around 95 million years ago, the Spinosaurus -- a massive beast with a blade-shaped head crest and interlocking teeth -- roamed the African continent.
From Barron's
The 55 Ghanaians is the highest number of casualties from a single African country to have been officially confirmed in the Ukraine-Russia war.
From BBC
On 21 September 2002, Clinton boarded Epstein's private jet, and embarked on a whirlwind tour of African countries with several celebrities, according to flight logs.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
