Mississippi

American  

[mis-uh-sip-ee] / ˌmɪs əˈsɪp i /

noun

1. a state in the southern United States. 47,716 sq. mi. (123,585 sq. km). Jackson. MS (for use with zip code), Miss.

2. a river flowing south from northern Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico: the principal river of the United States. 2,470 miles (3,975 km) long; from the headwaters of the Missouri to the Gulf of Mexico 3,988 miles (6,418 km) long.

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Mississippi British  

/ ˌmɪsɪˈsɪpɪ /

noun

1. Abbreviation: Miss.   MS.  a state of the southeastern US, on the Gulf of Mexico: consists of a largely forested undulating plain, with swampy regions in the northwest and on the coast, the Mississippi River forming the W border; cotton, rice, and oil. Capital: Jackson. Pop: 2 881 281 (2003 est). Area: 122 496 sq km (47 296 sq miles)

2. a river in the central US, rising in NW Minnesota and flowing generally south to the Gulf of Mexico through several mouths, known as the Passes: the second longest river in North America (after its tributary, the Missouri), with the third largest drainage basin in the world (after the Amazon and the Congo). Length: 3780 km (2348 miles)

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Mississippi Cultural  

1. State in the southern United States bordered by Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico and Louisiana to the south, and Louisiana and Arkansas to the west. Its capital and largest city is Jackson.

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Discover More

One of the Confederate states during the Civil War.

Its name comes from the Mississippi River, which forms most of the state's western border.

Example Sentences

Sens. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Joni Ernst of Iowa, all members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, have expressed private concerns over George’s firing, a second U.S. official said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

In recent months, the Florida-based organization for which I work has posted billboards in Georgia and Mississippi inviting folks interested in education freedom to “Join Us.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Washington, D.C. and 13 other states have similar laws to Mississippi in which ballots postmarked on or before Election Day will be counted within a certain period of time after Election Day.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

Circuit Court of Appeals agreed, striking down the Mississippi statute.

From Slate • Mar. 23, 2026

Smith told the women that Harriet Powell was a slave from Mississippi who had recently escaped while in Syracuse with the slaveholder.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling