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African

[ af-ri-kuhn ]

adjective

  1. of or from Africa; belonging to the Black peoples of Africa.


noun

  1. a native or inhabitant of Africa.
  2. (loosely) a Black person or other person of African ancestry.

African

/ ˈæڰɪə /

adjective

  1. denoting or relating to Africa or any of its peoples, languages, nations, etc
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a native, inhabitant, or citizen of any of the countries of Africa
  2. a member or descendant of any of the peoples of Africa, esp a Black person
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • ۾··Ա noun
  • t-۾· adjective
  • ԴDz-۾· adjective noun
  • ·۾· adjective noun
  • d-۾· adjective noun
  • ٰԲ-۾· adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of African1

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 ĀڰԳܲ “an inhabitant of Africa,” from Latin adjective ĀڰԳܲ “pertaining to Africa, African,” from Āڰ (short for terra Āڰ “African land”) “the continent of Africa, the Roman province of Africa,” a derivative of Āڰī, plural of adjective and noun Āڱ ( Āfra, Āfrum ) “pertaining to Africa, African,” as a noun “an inhabitant of North Africa”; further etymology uncertain; possibly akin to Phoenician ʾڲ “dust”; possibly the name of a local Libyan tribe ancestral to the Berbers
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Compare Meanings

How does African compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Here, we look at the three previous African popes - and how they got Christians to celebrate Easter Sunday and St Valentine's Day.

From

African captives turned American captives often remained as such when society transitioned from enslavement to Jim Crow.

From

The East African nation's constitution guarantees the right to peaceful protest, and the deaths caused a public outcry.

From

But standing in for Ramaphosa in a speech at South Africa's Freedom Day celebration in the eastern province of Mpumalanga, Mantashe criticised South African citizens who have called on Trump to "punish" the country.

From

A young female South African doctor has sparked a nationwide conversation about a form of domestic abuse often shrouded in silence - financial abuse.

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AfricaAfricana