roots

British  

/ ruːts /

adjective

1. (of popular music) going back to the origins of a style, esp in being genuine and unpretentious

   roots rock

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Roots Cultural  

1. (1976) A Pulitzer Prize –winning novel by the African-American author Alex Haley, later made into a popular television drama. It traces a black American man's heritage to Africa, where his ancestors had been captured and sold as slaves.

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Other Word Forms

• rootsy adjective

Example Sentences

In other words, the roots of humanity may have been geographically and genetically widespread, but not necessarily divided into sharply different human forms.

From Science Daily • Apr. 26, 2026

Edison’s crews, Johnson said, have also been trained to use equipment that avoids roots and preserves the health of trees.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

Now events come and stay,” says Omar Nokta, managing director and equity analyst at Clarksons Securities, an investment bank to the shipping industry that traces its roots back more than 150 years.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

The pair never wanted Albon to play any part in the child's life, but said they would eventually explain the child's roots in an age-appropriate way.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

After ten minutes of steady swimming, a huge stump swept past him, its roots extended like outstretched hands.

From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret