The features of the cultural concept AMERICAN MATERIALISM as one of the most significant aspects of the American worldview (on the basis of historical and publicistic texts and modern dictionaries of the English language)

Abstract
The paper presents major linguocognitive characteristics of the cultural concept AMERICAN MATERIALISM with consideration of its role in the American national linguistic worldview as well as of its evaluation dynamics. The research is carried out using the material of historical and publicistic texts devoted to American culture and mentality and through the analysis of the definitions of the word «materialism» provided in modern English language dictionaries. The study reveals the evaluative components of the given concept from both synchronic and diachronic perspectives and highlights the linguistic means which serve to verbalize the concept on the whole and its emotional-expressive side in particular. The definitional analysis also helps to single out the core semantic components of the concept AMERICAN MATERIALISM.

Keywords: linguocultural concept, national linguistic worldview, linguistic means, American materialism, metaphor, definition, semes.