The word German can mean:

• From or related to Germany or its predecessor states - see also
  • the German language
  • Germanic tribes
  • Holy Roman Empire (843-1806)
  • German Confederation (1815-1866)
  • North German Confederation (1867 - 1871)
  • Germany, the modern nation-state founded in 1871
• When used to denote a person, Germans can either denote inhabitants of Germany, or ethnic Germans, including residents of other ethnic German countries, like Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland etc.
• The name 'German' is (not precisely) sometimes also used for the various peoples that lived in Germany and other parts of Central Europe during Antiquity or during the period of the Holy Roman Empire. See: Germanic peoples

See also Germain.