What's the name of the continent where "America" is? :D
From a European perspective, American means from the continent America, and not specifically from the US. To me a Brazilian is as much American as a US citizen.
>From a European perspective, American means from the continent America, and not specifically from the US.
I don't think this is true for most of Europe.
For at least three different EU countries that I lived in, America and American is used exclusively for "the US" and "person from the US". "Person from Mexico" and "person from Brazil" would be Mexican and Brazilian, not American.
And geographically, the continents are North America and South America, so North Americans and South Americans is used too, in that context. But I don't think I've ever heard Americans to refer to both North and South Americans as a group of people.
In the UK, "America" always refers to the USA. North America and South America together are called "The Americas", never "America". It may be different in continental languages.
I'm pretty sure it's only in English and Japanese that "America" and "American" mean "the US" and "someone from the US". Everyone in Latin America also agrees that "americano" is the demonym for the continent.
I don't think this is true for most of Europe.
For at least three different EU countries that I lived in, America and American is used exclusively for "the US" and "person from the US". "Person from Mexico" and "person from Brazil" would be Mexican and Brazilian, not American.
And geographically, the continents are North America and South America, so North Americans and South Americans is used too, in that context. But I don't think I've ever heard Americans to refer to both North and South Americans as a group of people.