Americana

plural noun

Amer·​i·​ca·​na ə-ˌmer-ə-ˈkä-nə How to pronounce Americana (audio)
-ˌmər-,
-ˌme-rə-,
-ˈka-nə How to pronounce Americana (audio)
1
: materials concerning or characteristic of America, its civilization, or its culture
broadly : things typical of America
2
: American culture
3
: a genre of American music having roots in early folk and country music

Examples of Americana in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Parton has primarily released country music in her nearly 60-year career, through has taken detours (with albums and/or songs) into such genres as Americana/folk, bluegrass, children’s music, Christian, dance/electronic and pop. Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 27 Nov. 2023 Meanwhile across town in Glendale, a group of about 30 pro-Palestinian protesters also gathered on Central Avenue outside the Galleria and Americana shopping centers. Matthew Ormseth, Melody Petersen, and Angie Orellana Hernandez Los Angeles Times (tns), arkansasonline.com, 26 Nov. 2023 Located in the lobby atrium near the airy Lobby Bar, Beginner’s is a loving re-creation of the classic Americana train car-style diners of the 1940s. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Nov. 2023 Brandy Clark and Brandi Carlile teamed up to honor Americana music. Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 24 Nov. 2023 Singaporean dumpling chain Paradise Dynasty — a challenger to Din Tai Fung’s dumpling empire — is slated to fill the space in the Americana at Brand next year. Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2023 Winterthur’s Henry Francis duPont, an avid collector of Americana whose family home Winterthur became a museum, was tapped to chair the effort. Jura Koncius, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023 The era of Pax Americana appears to be over, and the United States is no longer poised to police the world. Paul Poast, The Atlantic, 17 Nov. 2023 The record molded the singer’s idiosyncratic tone around sounds of orchestral pop, Americana, folk, and country, using it as a vehicle for her lyrical storytelling. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 15 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Americana.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Americana was in 1841

Dictionary Entries Near Americana

Cite this Entry

“Americana.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Americana. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.

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