American refers to someone from the United States of America, or to things connected with the United States. When you say “I'm American,” you're identifying yourself as a citizen or resident of this country. When you describe something as American, you might mean it was made here, invented here, or reflects the culture and values of the United States.

The word can describe an incredible variety of people and traditions because America is a nation built by immigrants from all over the world. American music includes jazz, blues, country, rock and roll, and hip-hop. American food ranges from Southern barbecue to New England clam chowder to Tex-Mex cuisine. An American might trace their family's roots to Mexico, Nigeria, China, Ireland, or hundreds of other places.

Sometimes people use American to mean anyone from North or South America (the continents), but in everyday conversation, it usually means someone from the United States. This can occasionally confuse people from Canada, Mexico, or South American countries, who are technically American too in the broader geographic sense.