Carolina

American

[kar-uh-lahy-nuh, kah-raw-lee-nah] / ˌkær əˈlaɪ nə, ˌkɑ rɔˈli nɑ /

noun

a former English colony on the Atlantic coast of North America: officially divided into North Carolina and South Carolina in 1729.
North Carolina or South Carolina.
a city in northeast Puerto Rico, southeast of San Juan.
Also called the Carolinas. North Carolina and South Carolina.

Carolina British

/ ˌkærəˈlaɪnə /

noun

a former English colony on the E coast of North America, first established in 1663: divided in 1729 into North and South Carolina, which are often referred to as the Carolinas

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

North Carolina was the first to do so, a decade ago.

From Slate • May 11, 2026

After Tony Dunn lost his home in a California wildfire, he moved to mountainous North Carolina to avoid more climate disasters.

From Barron's • May 11, 2026

The Carolina Hurricanes cemented themselves as Stanley Cup favorites with a historically hot start to the playoffs.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026

The Carolina Hurricanes came into the 2026 playoffs as the Eastern Conference’s prohibitive favorites to make the Stanley Cup Finals.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026

A Carolina wren called from the magnolia trees, and full light came into the day.

From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023