# Latin America

> English word · Proper noun

## Definitions
1. Those parts of the Americas which speak Romance (Latin-derived) languages, namely Spanish, Portuguese, French, or creoles based on these.
2. A continental region consisting of those parts of the Americas located south of the United States where Spanish or Portuguese is predominantly spoken; sometimes including areas speaking French or French-based creoles.
3. Ibero-America (excluding all French-speaking areas).
4. umbrella term for South America, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean (including English and Dutch-speaking areas).

## Etymology
Calque of French Amérique latine. Thought to be coined by French Emperor Napoleon III.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/latin-america