America is the name of a whole continent. United States of America means that the United States belongs to America and NOT that America belongs to the United States. So, next time you want to refer to The United States of America, you can do it as U.S. or the States or whatever you want but not as only America. Gotcha?
Here we will show you some wrong and correct uses of the term America:
Please, note that this page in not about demonyms (gentilics) but about the way to call a country.
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Let the world know that USA should not be called America! America is one whole continent.
Comments (1254)
America is just an abbreviation of the United States of America. Get over it.
The word ‘America’ has multiple meanings in many languages. This isn’t just a question of how the word is used in English. Billions of people all over the world, who speak many different languages, use ‘America’ to refer to the USA and ‘American’ to refer to US citizens. This is simply a fact. The completely delusional actually claim that people don’t use the words this way. The slightly less delusional accept this obvious reality, but then claim that it is somehow incorrect, ungrammatical or illogical to use the words in this way. Some also claim that the words don’t actually have these meanings. They seem to honestly believe that they, or the way that other languages are sometimes spoken, determine what is correct and incorrect in English and other languages. There are no rules in English or any other language that say that ‘America’ cannot mean the USA.
tell me what other country is called America. None
South American countries have names like Chile or Brazil.
People all over the world refer to us as America. They are in no way confused as to what country they are talking about. WE are Americans from America. Get the hell over it!
We have been known as America and Americans since I can remember. I was born and raised here as were my parents. We are and were proud to be called Americans and no one ever made a big deal or questioned it. All this business of being politically correct is silly and stupid. I am a U.S. citizen but I'm also an American. Get over the jealousy.
For the pass two years I have been correcting all my family and friends that all persons born in south, central and north America are American. my parents are from Mexico and are American also, The United States of Mexico. So many persons in the U S aren't American's like the First lady she isn't an American.
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NOBODY in the rest of the world refers to Mexico or Brazil as "America." Furthermore, the use of "America" for the United States goes back to at least the 1840s in the English-speaking world. That's when Charles Dickens used the phrase in that exact sense. Get over it, angry Brazilian or Canuck who put up this nonsense.
why do all the immigrants I see say I want to go to America? Do they mean Mexico to?
Gawd, who cares! Get a life
So does that mean that being from the USA, I have to refer to myself as a United Statesian?
North and South America collectively are referred to as "the Americas". "America" refers to the United States. Which makes sense because the United States of America is the only country in the world the includes "America" in the name of the country.
There is no continent called "America".
America is a continent
The United States is a country in America
I see you all up in this discussion repeating yourself; Be honest, as a Canadian, have you ever referred to yourself as American?
Yes I refer myself as an American. Why wouldn't I. I am from the continent America.
The United States of America is in North America, not in America. And since we are in the United States of America, we can use the term American.
North America is in America. It is obviously the Northern Continent of America! It doesn’t matter how many countries are apart of North and South America. It doesn’t matter what people call themselves! They are Americans no matter what they say! USA citizens are NOT THE ONLY ONES on this Planet!
I would agree that North and South America are 2 separate Continents but they are 1 Gigantic Continent when you talk about both of them at the same time! Languages NEVER will have anything to do with it. The only language I will ever speak is English and AMERICA STAYS AS A CONTINENT FOREVER!!!
Whenever I say America or American(s), I will always be talking about the CONTINENT!!!
I can describe myself by city, province, country or continent anytime I want! If I describe myself by continent, I will always say AMERICAN! Right away, you should be asking me: What part? I will say North American!
There is no way USA can steal the words America and American, PERIOD!
Liar...