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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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

The East Stroudsburg Area School Board in Pennsylvania received a glowing 2025 restorative practices report from its director of secondary education, a “certified Restorative Practices trainer.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

Another politician who appears willing to take on this fight is Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

A professor of classical studies at the University of Pennsylvania, Wilson has also translated Seneca and Euripides, as well as Homer’s “Iliad.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 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

James Donovan, Rudolf Abel’s lawyer, later wrote that Hayhanen died in what he described as a “mysterious” accident on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in the summer of 1961.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin