downstate

[ noun adverb doun-steyt; adjective doun-steyt ]

noun

1. the southern part of a U.S. state.

adjective

1. located in or characteristic of this part:

   The downstate precincts reported early.

adverb

1. in, to, or into the downstate area:

   We're going downstate for the holidays.

downstate

/ ˈdaʊnˌsteɪt /

adjective

1. in, or relating to the part of the state away from large cities, esp the southern part

adverb

1. towards the southern part of a state

noun

1. the southern part of a state

Other Words From

• downstater noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of downstate¹

An Americanism dating back to 1905–10; down ¹ + state

Example Sentences

We’ll start with the two seats that are located downstate or outside of the Chicago area.

From FiveThirtyEight

Keeping energy flowing from upstate to downstate is critical to the state’s goals.

From Washington Post

When we first started dating the pandemic hit, so we really haven’t been anywhere except a visit to his family about four hours away for house-sitting and visiting his parents downstate.

From Outside Online

Both states are losing residents in their redder, rural areas — upstate for New York and downstate for Illinois.

From FiveThirtyEight

She was born in the downstate Illinois town of Blue Mound in 1972 and still carries traces of the Midwest in her voice.

From The Daily Beast

Like the Korean Peninsula, Illinois is cleft into two parts: Chicagoland and “downstate.”

From The Daily Beast

The downstate economy has always been shielded by finance and banking, the biggest players headquartered in New York City.

From The Daily Beast

The cornfield districts downstate will go strongly Republican.

From The Daily Beast