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
Adjective
If the commission were to only accept meat and dairy products certified as climate-friendly, that would create an incentive to pursue certification to enter the large European market. Paul Winters, Discover Magazine, 16 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, European regulators have moved at breakneck speed. Tobi Raji, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024 The company will look to tap into tax credits, European incentives and brands to finance content. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 15 Mar. 2024 Converting some of those orders to Airbus would give the European planemaker a rare opportunity to undercut its chief rival, which has been in crisis for more than two months following a near-catastrophic accident on a 737 Max 9 plane in early January. Siddharth Philip, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2024 For their part, European nations have struggled to maintain unity, bickering over what kind of equipment to provide and whether to consider sending troops into Ukraine. Samy Adghirni, Fortune Europe, 15 Mar. 2024 The study involved 24 astronauts from the U.S., European and Japanese space agencies who traveled aboard the International Space Station for up to 26 weeks. Fox News, 15 Mar. 2024 Octopus Baja is Delgado’s ode to historic spice trade routes, a Mexican seafood concept at 2731 K St. in midtown Sacramento that is unafraid to draw from Japanese, Peruvian and European cuisines. Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 4 Mar. 2024 Travelers who are hoping to plan an epic European summer vacation should start planning now since experts recommend booking flights to the continent at least six months in advance — and even up to 10 months before a trip. Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2024
Noun
The contest is organized by the European Broadcasting Union, an alliance of public service media, representing over 100 member organizations in 56 countries and an additional 34 associates in Asia, Africa, Australasia and the Americas. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 Mar. 2024 The deal, which drew criticism from rights groups over Egypt’s human rights record, is scheduled to be signed during a visit Sunday by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and leaders of Belgium, Italy, Austria, Cyprus and Greece, according to Egyptian officials. Samy Magdy, Fortune Europe, 17 Mar. 2024 For example, under its Farm to Fork Strategy, the European Commission encourages food systems that can mitigate climate change. Paul Winters, Discover Magazine, 16 Mar. 2024 YouTube and TikTok are under investigations in the European Union for their failure to protect minors. Teresa Huizar, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2024 More than 50 relatives of Charles de Gaulle issued a letter in 1999 denouncing Adm. de Gaulle’s son, Charles de Gaulle Jr., for joining the far-right National Front party in a successful bid for a seat in the European Parliament. Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024 The United Kingdom will likely hold a general vote, perhaps as early as May, while European Union citizens cast their ballots for the next EU Parliament in June. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2024 The 2010s saw trust in government reach its lowest point as wages stagnated, financial crises rocked the European Union, and corruption roiled developing nations. Jacob Turcotte, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Mar. 2024 That’s why conservationists have teamed up with NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and Google Earth Engine to create a new real-time monitoring system for tiger habitats. Rebecca Cairns, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'European.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near European

Cite this Entry

“European.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/European. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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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