Meaning & use
Alabaman or Alabamian
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Meanings
nouncountable
A person who lives in or was born in the US state of Alabama.
Grammar: Countable: one Alabamian, two Alabamians; takes a plural -s.
Patterns
- a native Alabamian
- be from Alabama and call yourself an Alabamian
My new neighbor is an Alabamian who moved north for work.
She was born in Birmingham, so she's an Alabamian by birth.
The team's coach is an Alabamian and talks about home often.
adjectivebefore a noun
Belonging to or typical of the US state of Alabama.
Grammar: Used before a noun, as in 'Alabamian cooking'; the shorter form 'Alabama' is far more common in this position.
Patterns
- Alabamian [noun]
The festival celebrates Alabamian music and food.
He studies Alabamian history at the state university.
Word forms
| plural | Alabamians |
|---|
Common combinations
- a native Alabamian
- Only a native Alabamian would know that shortcut.
- an Alabamian accent
- You can hear a slight Alabamian accent in her voice.
- proud Alabamian
- He calls himself a proud Alabamian.
Synonyms and how they differ
- Alabama native
- A descriptive phrase rather than a single word; it is clearer when you want to stress birth rather than residence.
Word family
- Alabama proper noun
- The state itself; also used before nouns instead of 'Alabamian' (Alabama roads).
Commonly confused: Alabaman or Alabamian or Alabaman?
Alabaman or Alabamian vs Alabaman
A less common variant of the same word; some editors avoid it, so 'Alabamian' is the safer choice in formal writing.
Practice
Which sentence uses the demonym correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Alabamian' begins with a vowel sound, so it takes 'an', not 'a' — option B is right. Option A uses the wrong article, and C wrongly uses the state name as a person.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Alabaman or Alabamian”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.