Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • The countries of the Western Hemisphere south of the United States, especially those speaking Spanish, Portuguese, or French.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • proper noun That part of the American continents that speak Spanish, Portuguese, or French; the part of the American continents south of the United States.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • proper noun Those parts of the Americas which speak Spanish or Portuguese, Latin-derived languages: South America, Central America, Mexico, and most islands of the Carribean.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the parts of North America and South America to the south of the United States where Romance languages are spoken

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From French Amérique latine thought to be coined by French Emperor Napoleon III.

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Examples

  • And we are seeing a recovery in Latin America, which is offsetting some seasonal decline we saw in Canada in the second quarter.

    unknown title 2011

  • In Latin America, that is legal only in neighboring Argentina and in Mexico City.

    The Seattle Times 2011

  • Other countries, such as China, are taking advantage of the potential in Latin America, which is attracting a growing share of capital inflow to emerging markets.

    The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed 2011

  • Other countries, such as China, are taking advantage of the potential in Latin America, which is attracting a growing share of capital inflow to emerging markets.

    The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed 2011

  • Chile rose two places to 39th, taking back from Peru, which fell two spots to 41st, the title of Latin America's most business- friendly economy.

    BusinessWeek.com -- Top News 2011

  • Venezuela's newly inaugurated state forensics laboratory is taking as its first case the death of the hero some call Latin America's George Washington.

    Irons in the Fire 2010

  • So I wasn’t super surprised that when I call Latin America and say in broken Spanish, “Can I speak with person X?”

    Un Momento « Christopher Colaninno 2008

  • Moreover, the countries that have adopted our ideals—nations in Latin America, Africa, and Asia—are more stable, more peaceful, and more likely to support us when we need their help.

    The Good Fight Walter F. Mondale 2010

  • Moreover, the countries that have adopted our ideals—nations in Latin America, Africa, and Asia—are more stable, more peaceful, and more likely to support us when we need their help.

    The Good Fight Walter F. Mondale 2010

  • Our expat life in Latin America also proved that English had a special place even among the larger languages.

    The English Is Coming! Leslie Dunton-Downer 2010

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