Appalachia

American  

[ap-uh-ley-chuh, -ley-chee-uh, -lach-ee-uh, -lach-uh] / ˌæp əˈleɪ tʃə, -ˈleɪ tʃi ə, -ˈlætʃ i ə, -ˈlætʃ ə /

noun

1. a region in the eastern United States, in the area of the southern Appalachian Mountains, usually including northeastern Alabama, northwestern Georgia, northwestern South Carolina, western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, western Virginia, eastern Kentucky, West Virginia, western Pennsylvania, and eastern Ohio.

2. Geology. a Paleozoic landmass, the erosion of which provided the sediments to form the rocks of the Appalachian Mountains.

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Appalachia British  

/ ˌæpəˈleɪtʃɪə /

noun

1. a highland region of the eastern US, containing the Appalachian Mountains, extending from Pennsylvania to Alabama

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Appalachia Cultural  

1. A mountainous region in the eastern United States, running from northern Alabama to Pennsylvania, and including parts of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and all of West Virginia.

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Discover More

A major coal-mining center and one of the most impoverished regions of the country.

Etymology

Origin of Appalachia

First recorded in 1920–25; back formation from Appalachian ( def. )

Example Sentences

The other stretches east to the West Virginia border, taking in a slice of Appalachia.

From Slate • May 19, 2026

I told them I was from Kentucky, and I grew up working class in Appalachia, where my family still lived.

From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026

Her roots are pure Appalachia; growing up in Sandy Hook, Ky., as the daughter of a dentist turned local politician and a mother who played piano for gospel quartets.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

They made it to Fort Pierce, Fla., where, in Mr. McDonough’s words, they found “another Appalachia already there waiting.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

Foxfire discussed how people did things in the old days of Appalachia.

From "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green