Mackem

British

/ ˈmækəm /

noun

a person who comes from or lives in the Sunderland and Wearside area
the dialect spoken by these people

"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

adjective

of or relating to these people or their dialect

"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

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.

“I’m over the moon with her,” Ellison said after seeing The Mackem Bullet breeze around the track before her last race for his stable.

From The Guardian

Author of the Mackem Dictionary Paul Swinney tells Today programme presenter Nick Robinson how Mackem phrases might be translated from the Queen's English and considers any linguistic challenges the Labour leader might face.

From BBC

The juror was discharged after he admitted his bias - Mackem is slang for a Sunderland resident - the day after Sunday's Tyne Wear derby.

From BBC

First up are Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday but it is the following Sunday that is occupying Mackem thoughts with a visit to their local rivals Newcastle United.

From The Guardian

It was called "Have you ever seen a Mackem in Milan?"

From The Guardian

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023