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Definition of Latin America noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Latin America

noun
 
/ˌlætɪn əˈmerɪkə/
 
/ˌlætn əˈmerɪkə/
[uncountable]
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  1. the parts of the Americas in which Spanish or Portuguese is the main language
    More About AmericaAmerica
    • The continent of America is divided into North America and South America. The narrow region joining North and South America is Central America.
    • North America, which is a geographical term, consists of the United States of America, Canada and Mexico. Latin America, a cultural term, refers to the non-English speaking countries of Central and South America, where mainly Portuguese and Spanish are spoken. Mexico is part of Latin America.
    • The United States of America is usually shortened to the USA, the US, the States or simply America:
      • the US President
      • Have you ever been to the States?
      • She emigrated to America in 1995.
      Many people from other parts of the continent dislike this use of America to mean just the US, but it is very common.
    • American is usually used to talk about somebody/​something from the United States of America:
      • Do you have an American passport?
      • American football
      • I’m not American, I’m Canadian.
      Latin American and South American are used to refer to other parts of the continent:
      • Latin American dance music
      • Quite a lot of South Americans study here.
    compare South America
See Latin America in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
Check pronunciation: Latin America

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noun
 
 
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