Definition

1. Noun:
   • A genre of American popular music: Country music is a style of folk music, originally from the rural Southern and Southwestern United States, characterized by simple harmonies, acoustic and stringed instrumentation (like guitars, banjos, and fiddles), and narratives often focusing on themes of love, heartbreak, work, and rural life.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • She listens to country music every morning on the radio.
  • The festival featured many famous country music singers.
  • He has a large collection of classic country music records.

Advanced Usage

• "to be a staple of country music": to be a fundamental, typical, or defining element within the genre.
  • Storytelling about everyday life is a staple of country music.
• "the country music scene": the community, industry, and cultural environment surrounding this genre.
  • Nashville, Tennessee, is the heart of the country music scene.

Variants and Related Words

• Country (n, informal): A common short form for "country music."
  • What's your favorite type of music? I like country.
• Country-and-western (n): A term historically used synonymously with "country music," though less common today.
• Countrypolitan (n): A subgenre of country music from the 1960s that incorporated more polished, pop-oriented production.

Synonyms

• Hillbilly music (n, dated/offensive): An early, now often considered derogatory, term for country music.
• Country & Western (n): A synonym, especially in historical contexts.

Related Phrases

• Country music legend: A highly influential and revered performer in the genre.
  • Johnny Cash is considered a country music legend.
• Outlaw country: A subgenre that rebelled against the polished Nashville sound in the 1970s.
  • Willie Nelson was a key figure in the outlaw country movement.

Related Idioms

• "Three chords and the truth": A phrase often used to describe the perceived simplicity and emotional honesty of country music.
  • He said his songwriting philosophy was just three chords and the truth.

Noun

1. a simple style of folk music heard mostly in the southern United States; usually played on stringed instruments