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• Oklahoma
  Oklahoma

  noun

  a state in the south central United States. 69,919 square miles (181,090 square kilometers). Oklahoma City. OK (for use with zip code), Okla.
• Oklahoma!
  Oklahoma!

  A musical comedy by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. It began a new era of sophistication in musical comedy and was the first of several very successful Rodgers and Hammerstein shows. “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning,” “Oklahoma,” and “People Will Say We're in Love” are songs from Oklahoma!

Oklahoma

American  

[oh-kluh-hoh-muh] / ˌoʊ kləˈhoʊ mə /

noun

1. a state in the south central United States. 69,919 square miles (181,090 square kilometers). Oklahoma City. OK (for use with zip code), Okla.

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Oklahoma British  

/ ˌəʊkləˈhəʊmə /

noun

1. Abbreviation: Okla., OK. a state in the S central US: consists of plains in the west, rising to mountains in the southwest and east; important for oil. Capital: Oklahoma City. Pop: 3 511 532 (2003 est). Area: 181 185 sq km (69 956 sq miles)

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Oklahoma! ¹ Cultural  

1. A musical comedy by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. It began a new era of sophistication in musical comedy and was the first of several very successful Rodgers and Hammerstein shows. “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning,” “Oklahoma,” and “People Will Say We're in Love” are songs from Oklahoma!

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Oklahoma ² Cultural  

1. State in the southwestern United States, bordered by Colorado and Kansas to the north, Missouri and Arkansas to the east, Texas to the south, and New Mexico to the west. Its capital and largest city is Oklahoma City.

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Other Word Forms

• Oklahoman
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of Oklahoma

First recorded in 1895–1900; from Choctaw Oklahommaʔ “Indian (i.e., North American Indian)”, equivalent to oklah “people, nation” + ommaʔ “red,” coined by the Choctaw scholar and Presbyterian minister Allen Wright (1826–85), later principal chief of the Choctaw Nation (1866–70), and originally applied to the Indian Territory; see Five Civilized Nations ( def. ), Indian Territory ( def. )

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Oklahoma Oklahoma!

In Clinton, Okla., the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum reported that through the first half of 2026, business quadrupled over the first half of 2025.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2026

A massive drought stung cattle country in 2022, drying up grazing pastures from Montana to Oklahoma.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026

He carried out the research while working at LSU's Pennington Biomedical Research Center and has since brought his internationally recognized translational research program to the University of Oklahoma.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 9, 2026

“We’re in a rural part of Oklahoma that’s impoverished and they are just taking advantage,” said Hartline, who eventually sued the company in a class-action lawsuit that has since been settled.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026

It’s probably the thing kids in Oklahoma treasure most.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri

Bonnie & Clyde the Musical and Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma! won best new musical and best musical revival respectively, while Prima Facie and Cock were named best new play and best play revival.

From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2023

The musical Oklahoma! is in the air since he’s at a high school in Oklahoma that frequently puts on the show.

From The Guardian ● Sep. 8, 2020

Plus how the updated version of Oklahoma! took a bold approach to choreography, and trying to bring peace to L.A. gangs after Nipsey Hussle’s death.

From Slate ● Jul. 25, 2019

Oklahoma!, book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, music by Richard Rodgers.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 7, 2019

“And Oklahoma! There’s no way I’m going to D.C. now.”

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

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