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• roots
  roots

  adjective

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

  (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.

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

“I just looked at it and thought, ’I want to put down roots; I want to have a family,’” she shared.

From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026

The brand still keeps its roots in fandom — whether it’s through football or “Game of Thrones,” said Chow.

From Los Angeles Times • May 16, 2026

The still-evolving design for Nateland is divided into three sections based on the comedian’s roots in Tennessee, his career journey to New York and his expanding reach in the world beyond.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

Antigoni was born in London but has Greek-Cypriot roots and says she's proud to be representing Cyprus, the third-largest Mediterranean island.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

Before she could respond, the tree roots shifted.

From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret