Alaska

American  

[uh-las-kuh] / əˈlæs kə /

noun

1. a state of the United States in northwestern North America. 586,400 sq. mi. (1,519,000 sq. km). Juneau. AK (for use with zip code), Alas.

2. Gulf of Alaska, a gulf of the Pacific Ocean, on the coast of southern Alaska.

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Alaska British  

/ əˈlæskə /

noun

1. Abbreviation: Alas.   AK.  the largest state of the US, in the extreme northwest of North America: the aboriginal inhabitants are Inuit and Yupik; the earliest White settlements were made by the Russians; it was purchased by the US from Russia in 1867. It is mostly mountainous and volcanic, rising over 6000 m (20 000 ft), with the Yukon basin in the central region; large areas are covered by tundra; it has important mineral resources (chiefly coal, oil, and natural gas). Capital: Juneau. Pop: 648 818 (2003 est). Area: 1 530 694 sq km (591 004 sq miles)

2. the N part of the Pacific, between the Alaska Peninsula and the Alexander Archipelago

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Alaska Cultural  

1. State in northwesternmost North America bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north; Yukon, Canada, to the east; the Pacific Ocean to the south; and the Bering Sea to the west. Its capital is Juneau, and its largest city is Anchorage.

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Discover More

The forty-ninth state, admitted in 1959, and the largest.

Other Word Forms

• Alaskan adjective

Compare meaning

How does alaska compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Alaska vs. Hawaii

Example Sentences

United Airlines fell 3% while Southwest Airlines declined 1.7%, and Alaska Air Group declined more than 0.9%.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

But Starlink, the service operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has become a dominant provider for airlines, signing up customers including United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Alaska Air Group.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Her aunt in Anchorage even texted to let Sullivan know that news of her protest had reached Alaska.

From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026

Sea ice is remaining attached to Alaska's northern coastline for shorter periods each year, based on 27 years of data analyzed by scientists at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

From Science Daily • Mar. 27, 2026

The passenger jet had left Seoul earlier that day, bound for Anchorage, Alaska, and had deviated off course into Soviet airspace.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau