Alaska

American  

[uh-las-kuh] / əˈlæs kə /

noun

1. a state of the United States in northwestern North America. 586,400 sq. mi. (1,519,000 sq. km). Juneau. AK (for use with zip code), Alas.

2. Gulf of Alaska, a gulf of the Pacific Ocean, on the coast of southern Alaska.

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Alaska British  

/ əˈlæskə /

noun

1. Abbreviation: Alas.   AK.  the largest state of the US, in the extreme northwest of North America: the aboriginal inhabitants are Inuit and Yupik; the earliest White settlements were made by the Russians; it was purchased by the US from Russia in 1867. It is mostly mountainous and volcanic, rising over 6000 m (20 000 ft), with the Yukon basin in the central region; large areas are covered by tundra; it has important mineral resources (chiefly coal, oil, and natural gas). Capital: Juneau. Pop: 648 818 (2003 est). Area: 1 530 694 sq km (591 004 sq miles)

2. the N part of the Pacific, between the Alaska Peninsula and the Alexander Archipelago

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Alaska Cultural  

1. State in northwesternmost North America bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north; Yukon, Canada, to the east; the Pacific Ocean to the south; and the Bering Sea to the west. Its capital is Juneau, and its largest city is Anchorage.

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Discover More

The forty-ninth state, admitted in 1959, and the largest.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Alaskan
  adjective

Compare meaning

How does alaska compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Alaska vs. Hawaii

Example Sentences

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a moderate Alaska Republican, laughed when I asked if he’d gifted her any shoes.

From Slate • Jun. 5, 2026

“We have heard that you were promised in Alaska the resolution of certain issues concerning Ukraine and Europe,” Zelensky wrote, referring to Putin’s August summit with Trump.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

The Department of Energy will grant a further $200m to build new coal plants in Alaska and West Virginia, the first new plants in the US since 2013.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

The president also announced nearly $200 million in grants to build coal plants in Alaska and West Virginia, along with funding to restart a coal plant in Maryland.

From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026

Johnston was a volcanologist with experience in active volcanoes in Alaska.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone