Mississippi
Americannoun
-
a state in the southern United States. 47,716 sq. mi. (123,585 sq. km). Jackson. MS (for use with zip code), Miss.
-
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.
noun
-
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)
-
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)
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mississippi has the nation’s highest default rate at 28.3%, and others near the top include Louisiana, Alabama, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Georgia, South Carolina and Texas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
The family of Nolan Wells, a Mississippi teenager who was found dead after going missing last weekend, is demanding answers about what happened to him.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
His move to the U.S., where he will be a professor at the University of Mississippi, will make him a two-time immigrant.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Elsewhere, lower water volumes in the Missouri and Mississippi River basins threaten to disrupt coal shipments by barge, a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission report warned.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
In Meridian, Mississippi, where Mrs. Hunter lived, the chief of police confiscated the Defender from men selling it on the street.
From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield
![]()
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.