Karnataka

American

[kahr-naht-uh-kuh] / kɑrˈnɑt ə kə /

noun

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

Karnataka British

/ kəˈnɑːtəkə /

noun

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)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Karnataka

A recent Dognosis study of more than 1,500 participants, involving six hospitals in Karnataka state, was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026

One of them lives in the neighbouring Karnataka, the other in the Middle East.

From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026

“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

In 2020 he abandoned his career in finance, sold all his shares and gold and invested the money in the family farm, in the southern Indian state of Karnataka.

From BBC ● Mar. 26, 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

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023