continental United States

American  

[kon-tn-en-tl yoo-nahy-tid steyts] / ˌkɒn tnˈɛn tl yuˈnaɪ tɪd ˈsteɪts /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

1. an official designation for the 49 states, plus the District of Columbia, that are located on the continent of North America, which does not include the state of Hawaii.

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Etymology

Origin of continental United States

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

In “Who Needs Friends,” his third soul-baring travel memoir, McCarthy embarks on a 10,000-mile, six-weeks-long Odyssean quest, crisscrossing the continental United States to repair and restore Platonic male relationships left to wither, not by intention or design, but by virtue of the unavoidable ways in which work, family and geography — and, yes, the internet — rupture the meaningful connections we deem most precious and transformative in our lives.

From Los Angeles Times

However, the US Congressional Research Service estimates they top out at about 3,000 kilometres -- less than a third of the distance to the continental United States.

From Barron's

However the US Congressional Research Service estimates they top out at about 3,000 kilometres -- less than a third of the distance to the continental United States.

From Barron's

The continental United States is more than 6,000 miles from Iran's western tip.

From Barron's

Plus, a substantial portion of the continental United States is buried under a sheet of ice and snow, conditions that aren’t conducive to travel.

From Slate