Dictionary.com

southernism

[ suhth-er-niz-uhm ]
/ ˈsʌð ərˌnɪz əm /

noun

a pronunciation, expression, or behavioral trait characteristic of the U.S. South.

QUIZZES

CAN YOU GUESS THESE WORDS FROM AROUND THE US?

American English is not always as it appears to be ... get to know regional words in this quiz!
Question 1 of 10
A bet is synonymous with a wager, but what does it mean in New York?
Often it means something is impossible.
It’s another way to agree with someone.
It serves as an apology.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of southernism

An Americanism dating back to 1860–65; Southern + -ism

Words nearby southernism

Southern-fried, southern fur seal, Southern Gothic, Southern Hemisphere, Southern Ireland, southernism, southern lights, southernly, southernmost, Southern Ocean, southern oscillation
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for southernism

  • Somehow her crisp, cleancut speech (Joan had quite abandoned Southernism) made his own seem hideous, drawling, uncouth.

    Why Joan?|Eleanor Mercein Kelly