An anglophone is someone who speaks English natively or by adoption. As an adjective, it means English-speaking, whether referring to individuals, groups or places.

In a narrower sense, the notion of "Anglophone" reaches beyond the mere dictionary definition of "English-language speaker". The term specifically refers to people whose cultural background is primarily associated with English language, regardless of ethnic and geographical differences. The Anglophone culture beyond the "mother country" is the legacy of the British colonial empire.

In Canada, and especially in Quebec, this term is widely used to designate someone whose everyday language is English, contrasted to francophone (someone whose everyday language is French) and allophones (those who use any other language).

The term can also refer to major English-speaking nations such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. These countries are sometimes known as the Anglosphere.

See also

• Language adjectives

English language | Social history of Canada | People

Anglophone