American has 8 different meanings across 3 categories:
Noun · Adjective · Proper Noun
a native or inhabitant of the United States
"The american crowd cheered loudly when their team scored the winning goal."
the English language as used in the United States
"When reading old literature, it can be difficult to distinguish between British and American spelling conventions without context."
a native or inhabitant of a North American or Central American or South American country
"The international conference brought together delegates from various american nations to discuss regional trade policies."
Originally, relating to the New World, the continent America, then a native or inhabitant of the British North American colonies; now, a person born in, or a citizen, national, or inhabitant of, the United States of America.
"The early settlers were often referred to as Americans because they had crossed the ocean to live in the New World."
In plain English: An American is someone who lives in the United States of America.
"When I travel, I always meet new friends who are from different parts of America and share their American stories with me."
of or relating to the United States of America or its people or language or culture
"American citizens"
"American English"
"the American dream"
of or relating to or characteristic of the continents and islands of the Americas
"the American hemisphere"
"American flora and fauna"
Of, from, or pertaining to the Americas.
"The discovery of new species in the Americas has revolutionized our understanding of biodiversity."
In plain English: Something American is from, related to, or characteristic of the United States.
"The american flag waved proudly in the breeze on Independence Day."
The English language as spoken in the U.S.; American English.
"While British spelling often uses 'colour', an American text will typically spell it with a 'u' to reflect American English conventions."
The word comes from America with the suffix -n added to it. It is related to the Latin word americanus.