all-Amer·i·can
ˌȯl-ə-ˈmer-ə-kən 
-ˈme-rə-
1
a
or less commonly all-America
ˌȯl-ə-ˈmer-ə-kə
: selected (as by a poll of journalists) as one of the best in the U.S. in a particular category at a particular time
-ˈme-rə-
an all-American quarterback
b
: having only all-American participants
an all-American basketball team
2
: composed wholly of American elements
3
: representative or typical of the U.S. or its ideals
an all-American boy
her all-American optimism
4
: of or relating to the American nations as a group
1
or less commonly all-America
: one (such as an athlete) that is voted all-American
2
: one that has all-American qualities or characteristics
a clean-cut all-American
Examples of all-American in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2024
Hazelnuts star in many fancy European desserts, and here, the classy nut glams up the all-American cheesecake for excellent results.
—Wini Moranville, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 May 2024
Naturally, the film provides personal portraits of the various members, including the flight leader, Brian Kesselring, whose all-American, square-jawed good looks and intense personality could certainly provide plenty of acting opportunities should this flying thing not work out.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 May 2024
Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, refers to non-purebred pups as all-American dogs.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 14 May 2024
And none of us can take our eyes off the all-American love story between pop icon Taylor Swift and football star Jason Kelce.
—Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 3 May 2024
The concession menu boasts the all-American favorites, including double cheeseburgers, onion rings and snow cones.
—The Indianapolis Star, 15 Apr. 2024
At least part of the schadenfreude that collects around these kinds of shows is that each brand has, at some point, tried to convince us of the same false idols: beautiful blondes and babydoll tees, trading in youth worship and all-American aesthetics.
—Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 12 Apr. 2024
The other players voted to the 12-man all-American team are: Anthony Roy (Langston, Okla.); Samaje Morgan (College of Idaho); Cevin Clark (Southwestern Kansas); Javan Buchanan (Indiana Wesleyan); Vincent Miszkiewicz (Keiser, Fla.); Jonathan Brown (Cumberlands, Ky.).
—Randy Covitz, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2024
oregonlive, 23 Mar. 2023
As in David Lynch’s Blue Velvet (1986), a young man descends into a twilight zone behind an explicitly all-American façade.
—Ed Park, The New York Review of Books, 14 Mar. 2023
Helen Hayes Award nominee Lauren Weinberg brings all the va-va-voom to vixen Lola and newcomer Jeffrey Keller is a star in the making as all-American Joe Hardy.
—Sun Sentinel, 10 Mar. 2023
These include balconies, roof decks, and the all-American picket fence.
—Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Mar. 2023
Buick invented the all-American GT coupe, and Americans loved it.
—Don Sherman, Car and Driver, 8 Mar. 2023
Tampa, Florida – The beloved Cuban sandwich is a delicious all-American culinary creation first served in Tampa, Florida, more than a century ago, according to proud local lore.
—Fox News, 28 Feb. 2023
There's no greater all-American road trip than one that travels along iconic Route 66—also known as U.S. Highway 66, the Mother Road (courtesy of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath), or the Main Street of America.
—Stefanie Waldek, Country Living, 24 Feb. 2023
Maxim Shmakov While Ali frames her stressors as common to the immigrant experience, there’s something very all-American, and generationally specific, about the chasm between what we were promised and what is happening around us in real-time.
—Nina St. Pierre, ELLE, 17 Feb. 2023
Adjective
At Venice’s legendary Teatro La Fenice, a last-minute all-American avant-garde dance performance by Merce Cunningham and John Cage with sets by Rauschenberg was a wild success.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2024
Hazelnuts star in many fancy European desserts, and here, the classy nut glams up the all-American cheesecake for excellent results.
—Wini Moranville, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 May 2024
Naturally, the film provides personal portraits of the various members, including the flight leader, Brian Kesselring, whose all-American, square-jawed good looks and intense personality could certainly provide plenty of acting opportunities should this flying thing not work out.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 May 2024
Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, refers to non-purebred pups as all-American dogs.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 14 May 2024
And none of us can take our eyes off the all-American love story between pop icon Taylor Swift and football star Jason Kelce.
—Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 3 May 2024
The concession menu boasts the all-American favorites, including double cheeseburgers, onion rings and snow cones.
—The Indianapolis Star, 15 Apr. 2024
At least part of the schadenfreude that collects around these kinds of shows is that each brand has, at some point, tried to convince us of the same false idols: beautiful blondes and babydoll tees, trading in youth worship and all-American aesthetics.
—Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 12 Apr. 2024
The other players voted to the 12-man all-American team are: Anthony Roy (Langston, Okla.); Samaje Morgan (College of Idaho); Cevin Clark (Southwestern Kansas); Javan Buchanan (Indiana Wesleyan); Vincent Miszkiewicz (Keiser, Fla.); Jonathan Brown (Cumberlands, Ky.).
—Randy Covitz, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2024
Noun
Cole recalled this time as a stab at conventional all-American life – at least on the surface.
—oregonlive, 23 Mar. 2023
As in David Lynch’s Blue Velvet (1986), a young man descends into a twilight zone behind an explicitly all-American façade.
—Ed Park, The New York Review of Books, 14 Mar. 2023
Helen Hayes Award nominee Lauren Weinberg brings all the va-va-voom to vixen Lola and newcomer Jeffrey Keller is a star in the making as all-American Joe Hardy.
—Sun Sentinel, 10 Mar. 2023
These include balconies, roof decks, and the all-American picket fence.
—Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Mar. 2023
Buick invented the all-American GT coupe, and Americans loved it.
—Don Sherman, Car and Driver, 8 Mar. 2023
Tampa, Florida – The beloved Cuban sandwich is a delicious all-American culinary creation first served in Tampa, Florida, more than a century ago, according to proud local lore.
—Fox News, 28 Feb. 2023
There's no greater all-American road trip than one that travels along iconic Route 66—also known as U.S. Highway 66, the Mother Road (courtesy of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath), or the Main Street of America.
—Stefanie Waldek, Country Living, 24 Feb. 2023
Maxim Shmakov While Ali frames her stressors as common to the immigrant experience, there’s something very all-American, and generationally specific, about the chasm between what we were promised and what is happening around us in real-time.
—Nina St. Pierre, ELLE, 17 Feb. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'all-American.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near all-American
Cite this Entry
“All-American.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/all-American. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
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