Technically, an American is someone from the Americas - i.e. North or South America. However, it is so commonly referring to people from the USA that we'll just ignore that point for now.

An American is someone who lives in the USA. Not all americans are overweight, ignorant pricks with an addiction to burgers and flag waving. Some of them are actually friendly, intelligent people!

Remember, kids: just because meet or hear one person from a certain place doesn't mean that everyone from there is like it. Oh, and did I mention that the actions of the US government don't ALWAYS speak unanimously for every last citizen of the USA? Just wanted to clear that up.

They do think some wierd things, though.. They call football soccer, American football football, aluminium aloominum, jam jelly and so on. But belittling them for differences like that would be a bit petty of me, wouldn't it?

legal resident of the United States; not really a nationality since everybody came here from somewhere else

Probablly the most bashed on country in the world.
Things you should know:

1. Yes, we are aware the term "American" can be used for anyone living in North or South America. The term "British" can be used for someone from Scottland, Ireland, or England. What else do you want us to call ourselves, United-Statesians? Besides, I don't see you calling people from Brazil or Argentina or Cuba American anyways. Why should we?

2. Yes, we are aware our President shows serious signs of mental retardation. All goverments have their problems.

3. We're not stupid. We don't go around speaking "American", laughing at all other "American" speaking countries thinking they stole the idea from us.

4. We're not all crazy extremists or blind conservatives.

5. Your country probally produces almost as much pollution as ours, and seeing as the US is about 3,718,695 cm2 (9,631,420 km2; gasp! an American knowing about the metric system? unheard of!) large and has 302,431,000 citizens, we're not doing that bad.

6. Celsuis- Farheniet, Meters- feet, Pounds- killograms. Gallons- liters. We use both you know.

7. We don't hate all Canadians, Brits, Cubans, and Japaneese people. We don't think all Muslims are terrorists. No matter what Bush says, we most definitely don't eat "freedom fries". We don't all support Iraq. We don't think Pakistan is in Africa.

8. Just because we can't trace our ancestors in America back for 329 years, it doesn't mean we love our country less.

9. Pat...

An American is your typical person everyone loves to hate, fat, stupid, redneck, a general twat with an IQ of 0.1

An American is a fat arrogant bastard - usually armed to the teeth with guns and hamburgers - who hates everything and everyone who doesn't hate everything and everyone. Also he may be inbred.

People that stereo type all other ethnicities and nationalities.
A closed mind bigot that resides on the North American continent. A person hated by all other countries because Americans invade them and kill their innocent people.

the less cultivated people in the world....most of the time fat and selfish....