Karnataka

American  

[kahr-naht-uh-kuh] / kɑrˈnɑt ə kə /

noun

1. a state in S India. 70,051 sq. mi. (191,791 sq. km). Bengaluru.

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Karnataka British  

/ kəˈnɑːtəkə /

noun

1. Former name (1956–73): Mysore.  a state of S India, on the Arabian Sea: consists of a narrow coastal plain rising to the South Deccan plateau; mainly agricultural. Capital: Bangalore. Pop: 52 733 958 (2001). Area: 191 791 sq km (74 051 sq miles)

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Etymology

Origin of Karnataka

First recorded in 1955–60; origin uncertain; perhaps from Kannada karu nādu “elevated land,” or kal nādu “rock land”

Example Sentences

“This kind of sophistication is phenomenal,” said Pronab Mohanty, head of cybercrimes and narcotics for India’s Karnataka state police.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Operations targeting Indians are often staffed by Indian nationals who themselves were lured into working in the scam compounds, said Mohanty, the Karnataka state police official.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

And last year the southern state of Karnataka introduced a law approving one day off a month for all menstruating women.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

The facility in Vemagal, in the southern state of Karnataka near the tech hub of Bengaluru, will manufacture the Airbus H125, the company's best-selling single-engine helicopter.

From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026

My mom’s family was from Karnataka, and they were all serious vegetarians.

From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth