n.
Pronunciation: ' r ē j-n ə - ˌ li-z ə m, ' r ē -j ə -n ə - ˌ li-
Function: noun
Date: 1881
1 a : consciousness of and loyalty to a distinct region with a homogeneous population b : development of a political or social system based on one or more such areas
2 : emphasis on regional locale and characteristics in art or literature
3 : a characteristic feature (as of speech) of a geographic area
– re · gion · al · ist \ -list \ noun or adjective
– re · gion · al · is · tic \ ˌ r ē j-n ə - ' lis-tik, ˌ r ē -j ə -n ə - ' lis- \ adjective