Tennessee

American  

[ten-uh-see] / ˌtɛn əˈsi /

noun

1. a state in the southeastern United States. 42,246 sq. mi. (109,415 sq. km). Nashville. TN (for use with zip code), Tenn.

2. a river flowing from eastern Tennessee through northern Alabama, western Tennessee, and southwestern Kentucky into the Ohio near Paducah. 652 miles (1,050 km) long.

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Tennessee British  

/ ˌtɛnɪˈsiː /

noun

1. Abbreviation: Tenn.   TN.  a state of the E central US: consists of a plain in the west, rising to the Appalachians and the Cumberland Plateau in the east. Capital: Nashville. Pop: 5 841 748 (2003 est). Area: 109 412 sq km (42 244 sq miles)

2. a river in the E central US, flowing southwest from E Tennessee into N Alabama, then west and north to the Ohio River at Paducah: the longest tributary of the Ohio; includes a series of dams and reservoirs under the Tennessee Valley Authority. Length: 1049 km (652 miles)

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Tennessee Cultural  

1. State in the south-central United States bordered by Kentucky and Virginia to the north; North Carolina to the east; Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi to the south; and Arkansas and Missouri to the west. Its capital is Nashville, and its largest city is Memphis.

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One of the Confederate states during the Civil War.

Example Sentences

Simpson, the son of Tennessee Martin coach Jason Simpson, is “a football junkie” who “plays with timing and rhythm,” McVay said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026

“The LaBrant’s family home was spotted for sale, just days after a new law was passed in Tennessee that prevents children from being exploited on social media,” @l1vel0vel3sbi4n said in their video.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026

Yet the next two picks were both offensive players, with the Arizona Cardinals selecting running back Jeremiyah Love before the Tennessee Titans sprang a surprise by taking wide receiver Carnell Tate.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

When asked if there are roles he’s dreaming of doing, Christopher flirts for a moment with Hamlet before opting for something from Tennessee Williams.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

Woodhull married a wealthy English banker and lived comfortably the rest of her life; Tennessee Claflin married Francis Cook, a member of the British nobility, and became Lady Cook.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling