African-American

/ˈæ.fɹɪ.kən əˈmɛɹ.ɪ.kən/

Æ · fɹɪ · KƏN ƏMƐɹ · ɪ · kən (5 syllables)

English Noun Top 15,860

Definition

A member of an ethnic group consisting of Americans of black African descent.

Etymology

Patterned on forms such as Irish-American, popularized by Jesse Jackson and in common use since the late 1980s.