European

1 of 2

adjective

Eu·​ro·​pe·​an ˌyu̇r-ə-ˈpē-ən How to pronounce European (audio)
-ˈpēn
: of, relating to, or characteristic of Europe or its people
Europeanness noun

European

2 of 2

noun

1
: a native or inhabitant of Europe
2
: a person of European descent

Examples of European in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
The winning beers were made by breweries across the U.S. and globe, though surprisingly, given the style’s European roots, no breweries from Europe took home pilsner medals. Erik Ofgang, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025 After decades of Russian and European chess dominance, the spotlight is on India, the likely birthplace of the ancient game. Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 8 June 2025
Noun
Canada has been in discussions with the European Union to join an EU drive to break its security dependency on the United States, with a focus on buying more defense equipment, including fighter jets, in Europe. Rob Gillies, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025 His total of 31 league goals earned Mbappe the ‘Pichichi’ award as La Liga’s top scorer and also the European Golden Boot for the most goals across Europe’s top domestic divisions. Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 8 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for European

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1555, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of European was in 1555

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Cite this Entry

“European.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/European. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

European

1 of 2 adjective
Eu·​ro·​pe·​an ˌyu̇r-ə-ˈpē-ən How to pronounce European (audio)
: of or relating to Europe or its people

European

2 of 2 noun
1
: a person born or living in Europe
2
: a person of European ancestry
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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