conterminous United States

American  

[kuhn-tur-muh-nuhs yoo-nahy-tid steyts] / kənˈtɜr mə nəs yuˈnaɪ tɪd ˈsteɪts /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

1. an official designation for the 48 states, plus the District of Columbia, that occupy an unbroken block of territory, which does not include the states of Alaska and Hawaii.

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Etymology

Origin of conterminous United States

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

The eastern timber wolf was classed as an endangered species in the conterminous United States in 1967 under the Endangered Species Act of 1966.

From An Experimental Translocation of the Eastern Timber Wolf by Hook, Richard A.