african-american
african-american — noun
1. a person living in the United States who traces their family history to Africa,
a person living in the United States who traces their family history to Africa, especially someone whose ancestors were enslaved in America and who identifies as Black
Many African-Americans moved from the South to northern cities during the 1920s.
collocation: moved from…to…
Sade wrote a report on African-Americans who changed the fields of science and medicine.
post-modifier: African-Americans who + verb
The museum tells the story of African-Americans from colonial times to the present day.
William interviewed several African-Americans for his project on local community history.
Hao read a book about African-Americans who fought for the right to vote.
- Black American
broader term; may include more recent African immigrants who are Black
- Black person
neutral description of race, not specific to US heritage
用法筆記
In modern American English, African-American is generally considered the most respectful and widely accepted term for Black Americans, especially in formal writing and news reporting.
常見錯誤
african-american — adjective
1. relating to the history, culture, or artistic traditions of African‑American peo
relating to the history, culture, or artistic traditions of African‑American people, including their music, literature, cuisine, and social institutions
February is African-American History Month in the United States.
compound modifier before noun: African-American History Month
Sofia's favorite singer performs African-American spiritual songs at community concerts.
Liam wrote a report on African-American leaders in the civil rights movement.
The course examines African-American literature from the early 1900s to the present.
Ingrid works at a research center for African-American studies at the university.
- Black
shorter, more informal; common in everyday speech and journalism
- Afro-American
dated term, rarely used today
用法筆記
Frequently appears before nouns naming cultural fields (literature, music, history, studies). In informal speech, Black is often used instead; African-American is more formal.