all-American

IPA/ˈɔːlɐmˈɛɹɪkən/
IPA/ˈɔːlɐmˈɛɹɪkən/

all-American — adjective

1. showing the qualities — like wholesomeness, friendliness, or athletic spirit — t

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

showing the qualities — like wholesomeness, friendliness, or athletic spirit — that many Americans see as ideal and admirable in their country.

Example

With his bright smile and football jersey, Tyler looked like the all-American boy next door.

before noun: all-American + person noun

The cafe served burgers, milkshakes, and apple pie — a truly all-American menu.

modifies food/cultural noun

Common collocations
  • all-American boy
  • all-American girl
  • all-American family
  • all-American values
  • all-American hero
Synonyms
  • wholesome

    focuses on moral cleanliness; lacks the national flavour

  • patriotic

    shows love of country, but not the same image of an ideal American type

Antonyms
  • un-American

    suggests behaviour seen as against US values

Grammar Patterns

all-American + noun

Usage Note

Almost always before a noun, often paired with words like boy, girl, family, hero, or values. Carries an approving tone tied to traditional cultural ideals; contrast with sense 3, which is sport-specific.

Common Mistakes

His haircut is very all-American.
He has a very all-American haircut.
this sense sits before a noun, not after a linking verb.

2. made up of, or bringing together, people or items drawn from every part of the U

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

made up of, or bringing together, people or items drawn from every part of the United States rather than just one region.

Example

The festival featured an all-American line-up, with bands from Texas, Maine, Oregon, and Florida.

modifies group/event noun

The cookbook offers an all-American tour of regional dishes, from gumbo to Boston clam chowder.

Common collocations
  • all-American line-up
  • all-American cast
  • all-American mix
  • all-American tour
Synonyms
  • nationwide

    covers the whole country but is more neutral and less patriotic in tone

  • coast-to-coast

    stresses geographic spread; often used for tours or broadcasts

Antonyms
  • regional

    limited to one area of the country

Grammar Patterns

all-American + plural/group noun

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: here the focus is geographic spread across the country, not the cultural ideal. Subject is usually a group, line-up, mix, or collection.

3. describing a US college or amateur athlete whom sports writers or coaches have r

3.adjectiveC1
Definition

describing a US college or amateur athlete whom sports writers or coaches have ranked among the country's very top players in their game that season.

Example

Maria was named an all-American swimmer in her senior year at Stanford.

passive: be named an all-American + sport noun

The high school proudly listed three all-American basketball players on its wall of fame.

before sport role noun

Common collocations
  • all-American honours
  • all-American team
  • all-American player
  • named an all-American
Synonyms
  • all-star

    covers any league's top picks, including pros; not limited to US amateurs

Grammar Patterns

all-American + sport role noun

Usage Note

Limited to amateur and college sport, especially in the US. Often appears in fixed phrases like 'all-American honours', 'all-American team', or 'named an all-American'.

Common Mistakes

He plays for the national team, so he is all-American.
He plays in college and was named an all-American last year.
the label is for picked amateur stars, not for any national-team player.

all-American — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words can describe a person, image, or product seen as good in an American way, but they highlight different things. 'All-American' paints a whole picture — clean-cut looks, friendliness, and shared cultural ideals — and almost always sits before a noun, as in 'an all-American family'. 'Wholesome' focuses on moral cleanness and is not tied to any country: a wholesome film could be Korean or French. 'Patriotic' centres on love for one's country and its symbols, so a patriotic song shows pride, but a patriotic boy is not automatically all-American in style. 'Homegrown' simply means produced or raised locally, with no value judgment about ideals. Compare: 'an all-American hero' (model citizen), 'a wholesome family movie' (clean), 'a patriotic speech' (pro-country), 'homegrown talent' (local).

all-American ↗wholesome ↗patriotic ↗homegrown ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • truly all-American
  • quintessentially all-American
  • thoroughly all-American

Phrases

  • the all-American dream
  • an all-American look
  • an all-American story

Prepositions

  • all-American in [sport/style]

Etymology

English

Built from the everyday English word 'all' plus 'American', this compound first appeared in US English in the late 1800s. It was first used in college sport, where journalists picked the year's best amateur players from across the country and called them 'all-American' — meaning chosen from the whole nation. From there the meaning widened in the 1900s to describe anything seen as embodying typical, admired US qualities.