District of Columbia

American  

noun

1. a federal area in the eastern United States, on the Potomac, coextensive with the federal capital, Washington. 69 sq. mi. (179 sq. km). DC (for use with zip code), D.C.

---

District of Columbia British  

noun

1. Abbreviation: D.C..   DC.  a federal district of the eastern US, coextensive with the federal capital, Washington. Pop: 564 326 (2003 est). Area: 178 sq km (69 sq miles)

---

District of Columbia Cultural  

1. The district occupied entirely by Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States; bordered by Maryland to the north and Virginia to the south.

---

Discover More

The District of Columbia was established by acts of Congress in 1790 and 1791 on a site selected by George Washington.

Example Sentences

No Kings organizers are hoping to break that record Saturday, when more than 3,000 events are planned across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with a main event in Minneapolis.

From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026

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

From Slate • Mar. 27, 2026

Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on March 9.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

District Court for the District of Columbia agreed; he quashed the subpoenas and said the government had offered no evidence that Powell committed any crime “other than displeasing the president.”

From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026

In some vaguely general fashion, they understood this, regarding the construction of the District of Columbia on the Potomac as a statement of Virginia’s enduring influence over the federal government.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis