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Americanism

[uh-mer-i-kuh-niz-uh m]
noun
  1. a custom, trait, belief, etc., peculiar to the United States of America or its citizens.
    1. a word, phrase, or other language feature that is especially characteristic of the English language as spoken or written in the U.S.
    2. such a word or phrase first recorded in American Engish.
  3. devotion to or preference for the U.S. and its institutions.
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Origin of Americanism

First recorded in 1775–85; American + -ism
Related formspro-A·mer·i·can·ism, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for americanism

Historical Examples

  • Americanism as typified by Claude Leslie is a new revelation.

    Oswald Langdon

    Carson Jay Lee

  • The use of this adjective as a substantive is said to be an Americanism.

    The Verbalist

    Thomas Embly Osmun, (AKA Alfred Ayres)

  • Whether an Americanism or not, it would seem to be quite unobjectionable.

    The Verbalist

    Thomas Embly Osmun, (AKA Alfred Ayres)

  • The use of the verb to locate in the sense of to settle is said to be an Americanism.

    The Verbalist

    Thomas Embly Osmun, (AKA Alfred Ayres)

  • Americanism, whatever else it may be, must be a practical Americanism.

British Dictionary definitions for americanism

Americanism

noun
  1. a custom, linguistic usage, or other feature peculiar to or characteristic of the United States, its people, or their culture
  2. loyalty to the United States, its people, customs, etc
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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

Word Origin and History for americanism

Americanism

n.

1781, in reference to words or phrases distinct from British use, coined by John Witherspoon (1723-1794), president of Princeton College, from American + -ism. (American English "English language as spoken in the United States" is first recorded 1806, in Webster.) Americanism in the patriotic sense "attachment to the U.S." is attested from 1797, first found in the writings of Thomas Jefferson.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper