African

African is a term denoting something related to the continent of Africa: people, culture, languages, animals, or organizations. The word functions as an adjective and also as a noun referring to a person originating from one of the African countries.

The word derives from the name 'Africa', which in ancient Rome referred to a region in the north of the continent and was later extended to the entire continent. Due to the continent's vast size, 'African' does not denote a single nationality or culture; it is an extremely broad designation.

Use by people

When 'African' refers to people, it typically means someone born in or a native of an African country, or someone whose ancestry originates from the continent. There are also related terms such as 'Afro-American', which denotes Americans of African descent.

Other uses

The term appears in the names of organizations and geographical entities, such as the African Union and the African Development Bank. It also appears in the names of animals and plants to indicate their origin, for example the African elephant.

Disambiguation

Because the term has multiple meanings, dictionaries and encyclopedias typically include a disambiguation page listing the various subjects the title may refer to.