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.

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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)

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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.

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Discover More

One of the Confederate states during the Civil War.

Example Sentences

The regions of Tennessee and Mississippi where xAI is operating its plants have a particularly large proportion of Black residents, the suit says, and several have reported health impacts and concerns from the plant.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

In Utah, the governor has signed two related bills into law, and in Tennessee and Indiana, bills are awaiting their governors’ signature.

From Salon • Apr. 10, 2026

Volkswagen will stop producing the ID.4 electric crossover at its Tennessee plant in mid-April, a casualty in the U.S. auto industry’s EV retreat.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Today, there are locations in 10 states across the country, mostly in the west coast and as far east as Tennessee.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

The crew chief, Red, a hulking redheaded guy from Tennessee, maintained the helicopter and served as the door gunner during flights.

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