American Indian
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English
Etymology
American + Indian. The noun is attested since 1702, the adjective since shortly thereafter.
Noun
American Indian (plural American Indians)
- A member of some indigenous peoples of the Americas, especially the United States, but excluding the Inuit, Yupik, and Aleuts.
- (Canada) An indigenous person from the United States.
Usage notes
- The term American Indian is generally accepted and sometimes replaced by Native American. However, it may cause offense if intended to include Canadian First Nations people.
- This term can sometimes be confused with 'Indian American' (i.e. an immigrant or descendant of an immigrant from India)
Synonyms
- See also Thesaurus:Native American
Related terms
Translations
Adjective
American Indian (comparative more American Indian, superlative most American Indian)
- Relating to the indigenous peoples of the Americas or their languages.
See also
- Euro-American
- Indian-American (U.S. citizens of South Asian extraction from India)