Columbia

American  

[kuh-luhm-bee-uh] / kəˈlʌm bi ə /

noun

1. a river in southwestern Canada and the northwestern United States, flowing south and west from southeastern British Columbia through Washington along the boundary between Washington and Oregon and into the Pacific. 1,214 miles (1,955 km) long.

2. Cape Columbia, a cape on the northern coast of Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada, in the Arctic Ocean: northernmost point of Canada.

3. a city in and the capital of South Carolina, in the central part.

4. a city in central Missouri.

5. a city in central Maryland.

6. a city in central Tennessee.

7. a city in southeastern Pennsylvania.

8. Literary. the United States of America.

9. one of an American breed of large sheep, developed by crossbreeding the Lincoln and Rambouillet, noted for its good market lambs and heavy fleece of medium length.

10. Aerospace. the first space shuttle to orbit and return to earth.

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Columbia ¹ British  

/ kəˈlʌmbɪə /

noun

1. a river in NW North America, rising in the Rocky Mountains and flowing through British Columbia, then west to the Pacific. Length: about 1930 km (1200 miles)

2. a city in central South Carolina, on the Congaree River: the state capital. Pop: 117 357 (2003 est)

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Columbia ² British  

/ kəˈlʌmbɪə /

noun

1. the first test vehicle of the NASA space shuttle fleet to prove the possibility of routine access to space for scientific and commercial ventures

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Example Sentences

In Canada, the British Columbia General Employees’ Union is now asking for workers to be allowed to work from home.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

Santander Consumer did not admit any wrongdoing as part of the settlement it paid to 33 states — including Oregon — and the District of Columbia.

From Salon • Mar. 30, 2026

Despite its federal losses, the party's provincial iterations still enjoy support and are the governing parties in British Columbia and Manitoba.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

This prevailing interpretation was upended in 2008 when the Supreme Court decided District of Columbia v.

From Slate • Mar. 27, 2026

Karl obtained his PhD in philosophy from Columbia University—where one of his professors was Zbigniew Brzezinski.

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