Pennsylvania

American  

[pen-suhl-veyn-yuh, -vey-nee-uh] / ˌpɛn səlˈveɪn jə, -ˈveɪ ni ə /

noun

1. a state in the eastern United States. 45,333 sq. mi. (117,410 sq. km). Harrisburg. PA (for use with zip code), Pa., Penn., Penna.

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Pennsylvania British  

/ ˌpɛnsɪlˈveɪnɪə /

noun

1. Abbreviation: Pa.   Penn.   Penna.   PA.  a state of the northeastern US: almost wholly in the Appalachians, with the Allegheny Plateau to the west and a plain in the southeast; the second most important US state for manufacturing. Capital: Harrisburg. Pop: 12 365 455 (2003 est). Area: 116 462 sq km (44 956 sq miles)

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Pennsylvania Cultural  

1. State in the northeastern United States bordered by Lake Erie and New York to the north; New Jersey to the east; Delaware, Maryland, and West Virginia to the south; and Ohio to the west. Its capital is Harrisburg, and its largest city is Philadelphia.

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Discover More

Named after the father of William Penn, a devout Quaker, who was granted proprietary rights by the king of England to almost the whole of what is now Pennsylvania in the late seventeenth century.

One of the thirteen colonies.

Example Sentences

He also covered financial markets for the Journal in New York and has written for local newspapers in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Virginia and South Carolina.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026

Vitor B. de Souza is a medical student at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 21, 2026

Tom Suozzi of New York and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, outlines federal tax credits to encourage investment in recycling machinery, operational equipment, or software.

From Barron's • Jun. 17, 2026

In central Pennsylvania, Paul Silvis is in the process of selling his manufacturing business SilkoTek Corporation to his employees.

From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026

She knew that he was only a visitor here in Pennsylvania, and he’d have to be set free in Canada, near chilly waters and plenty of marmots to snatch up!

From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers