Now That’s Americana: Merriam Webster adds Americana to Dictionary

Merriam-Webster announced today, as reported by the Associated Press, the inclusion of the musical definition of the word Americana to its Collegiate Dictionary. Americana joins Tweet, m-commerce and around 100 other words whose use is now widely recognized enough to be a part of today’s lexicon. According to the dictionary’s editors Americana music is defined as:

a genre of American music having roots in early folk and country music

Americana, as a musical term, has been under consideration longer than the 12 years the Americana Music Association has been in existence. Merriam-Webster’s inclusion of the word is based on widespread general written use, longevity, and an easily discernible definition.

“I’m thrilled. It’s affirmation of what we have been saying for over a decade” said Jed Hilly, Executive Director of the Americana Music Association. “To have an authority like Merriam Webster do the research and determine that our society recognizes the Americana genre is really great.”

Meanwhile the 12th annual Americana Music Festival & Conference presented by Nissan, is slated for October 12-15 in Nashville. The conference offers seminars, panels and networking opportunities by day and raw, battery-recharging showcases each evening. The Honors and Awards Show will be held October 13th at the historic Ryman Auditorium. To purchase conference badges, award tickets, or festival wristbands visit americanamusic.org

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