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british

African American

noun

a black American of African descent.

adjective

of or relating to African Americans.

Also Af·ri·can-A·mer·i·can, Afro-American.

Origin of African American

An Americanism dating back to 1860–65

usage note for African American

See black.

Example sentences from the Web for african-american

Paperback publishers distributed their titles in African-American neighborhoods because it expanded their market base.

How Pulp Fiction Saved Literature |Wendy Smith |January 8, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
Ed Brooke, the first African-American Senator since Reconstruction, embraced fights with the left and right.

Ed Brooke: The Senate's Civil Rights Pioneer and Prophet of a Post-Racial America |John Avlon |January 4, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
Still, for all of this, South Carolina is now represented in the U.S. Senate by Tim Scott, a Republican and an African-American.

Steve Scalise Shows There’s a Fine Line Between Confederate & Southern |Lloyd Green |January 2, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
You mix up English working-class gruffness with African-American soul from the Deep South.

The Greatest Rock Voice of All Time Belonged to Joe Cocker |Ted Gioia |December 23, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Only five African-American females hold a rank higher than GS-14 within the Secret Service.

It’s Not Just the Cops—Racism Is a Problem for the Secret Service, Too |Bill Conroy |December 6, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for african-american

African-American

noun

an American of African descent

adjective

of or relating to Americans of African descent

usage for African-American

This is the currently preferred term in the US for people of African ancestry