Tennessee

American  

[ten-uh-see] / ˌtɛn əˈsi /

noun

1. a state in the southeastern United States. 42,246 sq. mi. (109,415 sq. km). Nashville. TN (for use with zip code), Tenn.

2. a river flowing from eastern Tennessee through northern Alabama, western Tennessee, and southwestern Kentucky into the Ohio near Paducah. 652 miles (1,050 km) long.

---

Tennessee British  

/ ˌtɛnɪˈsiː /

noun

1. Abbreviation: Tenn.   TN.  a state of the E central US: consists of a plain in the west, rising to the Appalachians and the Cumberland Plateau in the east. Capital: Nashville. Pop: 5 841 748 (2003 est). Area: 109 412 sq km (42 244 sq miles)

2. a river in the E central US, flowing southwest from E Tennessee into N Alabama, then west and north to the Ohio River at Paducah: the longest tributary of the Ohio; includes a series of dams and reservoirs under the Tennessee Valley Authority. Length: 1049 km (652 miles)

---

Tennessee Cultural  

1. State in the south-central United States bordered by Kentucky and Virginia to the north; North Carolina to the east; Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi to the south; and Arkansas and Missouri to the west. Its capital is Nashville, and its largest city is Memphis.

---

Discover More

One of the Confederate states during the Civil War.

Example Sentences

The pilots of an Apache attack helicopter were suspended this week after doing a flyby of Kid Rock’s home in Tennessee.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

The US Army is investigating an incident in which two Apache attack helicopters flew near the Tennessee home of musician Kid Rock, an ardent supporter of President Donald Trump, a military spokesman said Tuesday.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

A former Tennessee star, Lawson brings Summitt’s brand crackling intensity to Duke, a mindset that she’s said calls for supreme confidence, chasing excellence and holding oneself to an all-around standard of success.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn have introduced legislation that would put the Justice Department in charge of regulating the NCAA.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

Finally, in July, a finished panel was trucked up from Tennessee and carefully put in place.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge