Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

Madison

American  
[mad-uh-suhn] / ˈmæd ə sən /

noun

  1. Dolly or Dolley Dorothea Payne, 1768–1849, wife of James Madison.

  2. James, 1751–1836, 4th president of the U.S. 1809–17.

  3. a city in and the capital of Wisconsin, in the S part.

  4. a city in NE New Jersey.

  5. a town in S Connecticut.

  6. a city in SE Indiana.

  7. a river in SW Montana and NW Wyoming, flowing N to join the Jefferson and Gallatin rivers and form the Missouri River. 183 miles (294 km) long.

  8. a dance in which the participants stand side by side in a line while one person, acting as leader, calls out various steps, each letter of the word “Madison” signaling a specific step.

Madison 1 British  
/ ˈmædɪsən /

noun

  1. James. 1751–1836, US statesman; 4th president of the US (1809–17). He helped to draft the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. His presidency was dominated by the War of 1812

"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
madison 2 British  
/ ˈmædɪsən /

noun

  1. a type of cycle relay race

"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
Madison 3 British  
/ ˈmædɪsən /

noun

  1. a city in the US, in S central Wisconsin, on an isthmus between Lakes Mendota and Monona: the state capital. Pop: 218 432 (2003 est)

"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
Madison Cultural  

  1. Capital of Wisconsin.

Discover More

Location of the main branch of the University of Wisconsin.

Etymology

Origin of madison

C20: from Madison Square Gardens in New York City, early venue for such races

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.

Running back Wayne Knight followed Chesney from James Madison and adds to an already gritty running back group that could become one of the team’s deepest units.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

Rent a Bike – Madison is one of the most bikable cities in the country, with more than 200 miles of trails.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

Well over 11 million people registered to score tickets for Styles’s 30 shows in New York, according to Ticketmaster, a number far greater than the capacity of 30 Madison Square Gardens.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Gil returned to Madison and ran the bookstore until it ran out of money.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

Dolley Madison had asked two men who were passing by to safeguard the painting.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.