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Americana

American  
[uh-mer-i-kan-uh, -kah-nuh, -key-nuh] / əˌmɛr ɪˈkæn ə, -ˈkɑ nə, -ˈkeɪ nə /

noun

  1. (often used with a plural verb) books, papers, maps, etc., relating to America, especially to its history, culture, and geography.

  2. (used with a singular verb) a collection of such materials.


Americana British  
/ əˌmɛrɪˈkɑːnə /

plural noun

  1. objects, such as books, documents, relics, etc, relating to America, esp in the form of a collection

  2. all forms of traditional music indigenous to America, and their modern variants

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Americana

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45; Americ(a) + -ana

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

It is filled with Americana and features what he calls the “Patriot’s Bar,” a sky-high watering hole adorned with flags from the Revolutionary and Civil war eras.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 30, 2026

Its brand of gently offbeat Americana is pure comfort-watching.

From MarketWatch Jun. 30, 2026

My colleague Alex Kirshner wrote about @FreddyLA7, a German X user visiting the U.S. for the tournament whose admiring, travelogue-style posts about Taco Bell, state parks, and other Americana are going viral.

From Slate Jun. 25, 2026

FDR’s “arsenal of democracy” produced External link 10 battleships, 27 carriers, 211 submarines, and 310,000 aircraft to help win the war and establish Pax Americana.

From Barron's Jun. 5, 2026

I'd go to the casinos at the El San Juan and Americana.

From "Hole in My Life" by Jack Gantos

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