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

The company received early backing from Tsinghua University itself, helping anchor its academic roots.

From The Wall Street Journal

His message throughout his campaign centered on his humble roots as the son of Mexican immigrants with a third-grade education.

From Los Angeles Times

Manufactured housing has undergone a revolution, bearing little relation to its “mobile home” roots.

From The Wall Street Journal

Because of this, understanding how neural circuits form and mature is critical for uncovering the biological roots of these disorders and for developing new treatments.

From Science Daily

Multigenerational families from the Midwest planted early roots and never expected to leave.

From Los Angeles Times