DictionaryAI

European

Sayyuur-uh-PEE-uhnUS/ˌjʊɚ.əˈpi.ən/UK/(ˌ)jʊə.ɹəˈpiː.ən/

Noun pluralEuropeans

6 meanings of European

Practice

  1. 1
    of Europeadjective
    Coming from Europe, or connected with it or its people.

    She enjoys European food like pizza and cheese.

    Many European countries have very old cities.

    UsageWrite it with a capital E. Say a European city (not incorrect: an European).

  2. 2
    EUadjective
    Connected with the European Union and its member countries.

    The new European rules apply to every member country.

    Shops in Spain and Italy must follow the same European rules on food labels.

  3. 3
    person from Europenouncountable
    A person from Europe or living there, or a citizen of a country in the European Union.

    Many Europeans speak more than one language.

    He is a European who grew up near the mountains.

  4. 4
    white (race)adjective
    In old colonial records and some official groupings, used to mean white, or having white ancestors.

    Old colonial records listed white people as European, even if they were born there.

    Her papers listed her as European under the racial rules of the time.

    Similarwhite, Caucasian

    Note

Less common meanings

  1. 5
    nounUKcountablebritish
    Someone who wants the countries of Europe to work closely together in politics and trade, especially through the European Union.

    She is a committed European who wants closer ties with the EU.

    The party is split between Europeans and those who want to leave the EU.

    UsageOften a committed European. Pro-European means the same and is clearer.

    SimilarEurophile

    OppositeEuroskeptic

    Note
  2. 6
    adjective
    Describing an option (a kind of money contract) that you can use only on its last day, not earlier.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of European apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

It came from the French word Européen, which goes back through Latin to an Ancient Greek word meaning "European." It is simply "Europe" plus "-an."

Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 3 facts