English

Alternative forms

• (rare) usonian, USonian

Adjective

Usonian ‎(not comparable)

1. Of or relating to the United States of America.
   • 2003, Toshiko Mori, Materials, Fabrication + Performance: The Journal of the School of Architecture and Planning, page 121:

     Right below Juan Ponce is the Palace of the Fortaleza de Santa Catalina drawn in such a way so as to highlight the Puerto Rican and the Usonian flags waving above.

   This much was already evident in the opinions expressed by Usonian politicians and ideologues following the end of the War of 1898.

2. Of Frank Lloyd Wright's vision for a utopian United States.
   • 1936 (2000), John Dos Passos, The Big Money, page 346:

     only in freedom can we build the Usonian city. His [Wright's] plans are coming to life.

   The great Usonian Life, the universal life of our own true democracy.

3. Of or relating to a style of construction introduced by Frank Lloyd Wright.
   • 2002, Paul Adamson, Marty Arbunich, & Ernie Braun, Eichler, page 94:

     His ability to design buildings to fit their locations was one of his great talents, and his Usonian houses, despite the highly systematized construction methods used, were always attuned to the particulars of each building location. The composition of the exterior walls and the structural system was repeated from house to house […] yet each Usonian was distinct.

   Their residential design is strongly influenced by Prairie and Usonian architecture.

4. Pertaining to Usonia, New York, or similar Wrightian communities.
   • 2001, Roland Reisley, Frank Lloyd Wright, John Timpane, Usonia, New York:

     As the median age of Usonian children grew, […]

   Okemos, Michigan was to be the site of Wright's first Usonian community.

Quotations

• For more examples of usage of this term, see Citations:Usonian.

Usage notes

The comparative and superlative, as in his most Usonian design, are not common. (See citations.) Generally capitalized.

Synonyms

• (of the United States of America): American, US American, United Statesian, US-ian, Usanian, Usonan
• (Wrightian architecture): Prairie, Prairie-style

Translations

Noun

Usonian ‎(plural Usonians)

1. An inhabitant or citizen of the United States of America.
   • 2004, Juan Bruce-Novoa, “Twenty years of transatlantic Usonianism”, in Walter Grünzweig, editor, The United States in Global Contexts: American Studies After 9/11 and Iraq, page 23:

     As a Usonian of Celtic-Franco/Gallego Mexican-Quaker-Catholic-German-Blackfoot-Rock&Roll descent, I feel at home.

2. An inhabitant of the Wrightian community of Usonia, New York.
   • 2001, Roland Reisley, Frank Lloyd Wright, John Timpane, Usonia, New York, page 13:

     "Those were the best of the arguments," one Usonian remembered.

3. A house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in his Usonian style.
   • 1994, Edward Russo, Illinois historical journal, Illinois State Historical Society, page 333:

     Rosenbaum does an admirable job of characterizing the philosophy behind the Usonian and its particular place in time.

   • 2002, Paul Adamson, Marty Arbunich, & Ernie Braun, Eichler, page 94:

     His ability to design buildings to fit their locations was one of his great talents, and his Usonian houses, despite the highly systematized construction methods used, were always attuned to the particulars of each building location. The composition of the exterior walls and the structural system was repeated from house to house […] yet each Usonian was distinct.

Synonyms

• (inhabitant or citizen of the United States of America): American, US American, United Statesian, US-ian, Usanian

Translations

Derived terms

References

• "Usonian" in Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 11th edition revised, Oxford Dictionaries, 2008.