regionalism: Meaning and Definition of

re•gion•al•ism

1. the principle or system of dividing a city, state, etc., into separate administrative regions.
2. advocacy of such a principle or system.
3. a speech form, expression, custom, or other feature peculiar to or characteristic of a particular area.
4. devotion to the interests of one's own region.
5. the theory or practice of emphasizing the regional characteristics of locale or setting, as by stressing local speech.
6. (often cap.) a style of American painting developed chiefly 1930–40 in which subject matter was derived principally from rural areas.