'Merica

American  

[mer-i-kuh] / ˈmɛr ɪ kə /

Also 'Murica, or Merica

noun

Informal.

1. contraction of America (often used humorously to suggest either a sarcastic or patriotic sentiment).

   Wage earners here in ’Merica are no better off.

   Can’t wait to get back to ’Merica!

---

Etymology

Origin of 'Merica

First recorded in 1800–05 ; by loss of initial, unaccented syllable of America ( def. ) (in the sense “United States of America”)

Example Sentences

“A Working Man” molds the Levon character to Statham, making him a British soldier and tilting the book’s axis of evil away from “ ‘Merica good, everyone else bad.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2025

While arguments about whether it should be ‘Merica or ‘Murica might lead to fisticuffs in some quarters, a dominant spelling of the even the most outlandish spoken phrases typically rises above the rest, she adds.

From Time • Sep. 12, 2016

Me an’ pop an’ gran’ther an’ the hull b’ilin’ of us—as fur back as there was any ’Merica, I reckon.

From Short Stories of the New America Interpreting the America of this age to high school boys and girls by Various

De gals was me and Mary, 'Merica, Hannah, Betsy, and Emma.

From Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves Georgia Narratives, Part 3 by Work Projects Administration

She were a wild slip of a girl when I took service out in 'Merica.

From 'Me and Nobbles' by Le Feuvre, Amy