regionalism

noun

re·​gion·​al·​ism ˈrē-jə-nə-ˌli-ˌli-zəm 

ˈrēj-nə-

1

a

: consciousness of and loyalty to a distinct region with a homogeneous population

b

: development of a political or social system based on one or more such areas

2

: emphasis on regional locale and characteristics in art or literature

3

: a characteristic feature (as of speech) of a geographic area

regionalist

ˈrē-jə-nə-list 

ˈrēj-nə-list

noun or adjective

regionalistic

ˌrē-jə-nə-ˈli-stik 

ˌrēj-nə-ˈli-

adjective

Examples of regionalism in a Sentence

The residents have a strong sense of regionalism.

The word “pop” for “soda” is a Midwest regionalism.

Recent Examples on the Web

Just don’t let the deniers know that regionalism and sustainability are essentially one and the same. — Richard Olsen, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026

But what was important to me was not their exact accents, but the regionalism and their bickering and bantering with one another. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 25 Nov. 2025

This national narrative sat in tension with a growing regionalism, seen in the rise of local historians and small museums. — JSTOR Daily, 26 Oct. 2025

The concept is not unlike the literary trope of regionalism or local color genre—telling the same core story, just tailoring the language and presentation for new audiences and global regions. — Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 25 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for regionalism

• activism
• albinism
• altruism
• aneurism
• animism
• aphorism
• atomism
• barbarism
• bolshevism
• botulism
• brahmanism
• calvinism

Kids Definition

regionalism

noun

re·​gion·​al·​ism ˈrēj-nəl-ˌiz-əm 

-ən-ᵊl-

1

: the quality of being conscious of and loyal to a particular region

2

: the practice of using a particular region as the setting in art or literature

3

: an individual quality (as of speech) of a geographic area

regionalist

-əst 

noun or adjective

regionalistic

ˌrēj-nəl-ˈis-tik 

-ən-ᵊl-

adjective