Nova Scotia

American  

[noh-vuh skoh-shuh] / ˈnoʊ və ˈskoʊ ʃə /

noun

1. a peninsula and province in SE Canada: once a part of the French province of Acadia. 21,068 sq. mi. (54,565 sq. km). Halifax.

2. Informal. Nova Scotia salmon.

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Nova Scotia British  

/ ˈnəʊvə ˈskəʊʃə /

noun

1. a peninsula in E Canada, between the Gulf of St Lawrence and the Bay of Fundy

2. a province of E Canada, consisting of the Nova Scotia peninsula and Cape Breton Island: first settled by the French as Acadia. Capital: Halifax. Pop: 936 960 (2004 est). Area: 52 841 sq km (20 402 sq miles)

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Nova Scotia Cultural  

1. Province in eastern Canada, including a peninsula to the east of New Brunswick and Cape Breton Island, as well as several smaller adjacent islands. With New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia makes up the Maritime Provinces. Halifax is its capital and largest city.

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Discover More

French settlers, who called the area Acadia, were expelled by the British in the 1750s. Many of the exiled Acadians settled in Louisiana and became the ancestors of today's Cajuns.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Nova Scotian
  adjective

Example Sentences

“Usually countries with sovereign-wealth funds are net savers. Canada is, well, not,” said Derek Holt, economist at Bank of Nova Scotia.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

While two— Royal Bank of Canada and Bank of Nova Scotia —have eked out gains of less than 1%, others are roaring ahead.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

On his odyssey out of slavery, David George settled in the Carolinas, then Nova Scotia and finally Sierra Leone.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

The fossil was found on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, a location known for difficult and sometimes dangerous fieldwork.

From Science Daily • Feb. 11, 2026

I know he grew up on a farm in the backwoods of Nova Scotia, where they didn’t have running water or electricity.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood