Pennsylvania

American  

[pen-suhl-veyn-yuh, -vey-nee-uh] / ˌpɛn səlˈveɪn jə, -ˈveɪ ni ə /

noun

1. a state in the eastern United States. 45,333 sq. mi. (117,410 sq. km). Harrisburg. PA (for use with zip code), Pa., Penn., Penna.

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Pennsylvania British  

/ ˌpɛnsɪlˈveɪnɪə /

noun

1. Abbreviation: Pa.   Penn.   Penna.   PA.  a state of the northeastern US: almost wholly in the Appalachians, with the Allegheny Plateau to the west and a plain in the southeast; the second most important US state for manufacturing. Capital: Harrisburg. Pop: 12 365 455 (2003 est). Area: 116 462 sq km (44 956 sq miles)

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Pennsylvania Cultural  

1. State in the northeastern United States bordered by Lake Erie and New York to the north; New Jersey to the east; Delaware, Maryland, and West Virginia to the south; and Ohio to the west. Its capital is Harrisburg, and its largest city is Philadelphia.

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Discover More

Named after the father of William Penn, a devout Quaker, who was granted proprietary rights by the king of England to almost the whole of what is now Pennsylvania in the late seventeenth century.

One of the thirteen colonies.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Pennsylvania

One now daring to step up is Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

Since I live in Pennsylvania, I understand that I will owe a 15% inheritance tax, leaving me with approximately $17,000 to invest or save.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded the first outbreak to include four more states — Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

Measles cases are also currently on the rise in Pennsylvania and Virginia.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

The plan Washington hatched meant sending some of the enslaved servants back to Mount Vernon every six months, or having them travel with Mrs. Washington outside of Pennsylvania.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis