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 Alaska Air said it was seeing encouraging revenue trends in the rest of its network.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 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

In Alaska, for instance, the bears already know that the sound of a moose hunter’s gun means there will be a fresh gut pile when the hunter cleans the moose.

From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen