Hawaii

American  

[huh-wahy-ee, -wah-, -wah-yuh, hah-vah-ee] / həˈwaɪ i, -ˈwɑ-, həˈwɑ yə, hɑˈvɑ i /

Or Hawai'i

noun

1. a state of the United States comprising the northern Pacific islands of Hawaii, Kahoolawe, Kauai, Lanai, Maui, Molokai, Niihau, and Oahu: a U.S. territory 1900–59; admitted to the Union 1959. 6,424 sq. mi. (16,715 sq. km). Honolulu. HI (for use with zip code), Haw.

2. Official Name Island of Hawaii.  Also called the Big Island.  Also called Hawaii Island,.  the largest island of Hawaii, in the southeastern part of the state. 4,028 sq. mi. (10,430 sq. km).

3. Kingdom of Hawaii. the Hawaiian Kingdom.

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Hawaii British  

/ həˈwaɪɪ /

noun

1. Abbreviation: Ha.   HI.  Former name: Sandwich Islands.  a state of the US in the central Pacific, consisting of over 20 volcanic islands and atolls, including Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, Kauai, and Molokai: discovered by Captain Cook in 1778; annexed by the US in 1898; naval base at Pearl Harbor attacked by the Japanese in 1941, a major cause of US entry into World War II; became a state in 1959. Capital: Honolulu. Pop: 1 257 608 (2003 est). Area: 16 640 sq km (6425 sq miles)

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Hawaii Cultural  

1. State located in the Pacific Ocean southwest of the mainland United States; consists mainly of a chain of eight islands, including Hawaii, the largest, and Oahu, location of Honolulu, the state's capital and largest city.

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Spelling

Hawaii and Hawai'i are used interchangeably, with Hawaii being predominant, especially in government. It is conventional for departments of the state to use Hawaii in letterheads, seals, flags, signs, forms, licenses, and other official documents. It is not, however, unusual to find Hawai'i within the text of a letter, report, etc., that has Hawaii in the letterhead or seal.

Discover More

Location of Pearl Harbor.

Fiftieth state, admitted in 1959.

Etymology

Origin of Hawaii

From Hawaiian Hawai'i

Compare meaning

How does hawaii compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Alaska vs. Hawaii

Example Sentences

“Maybe they’re on a cruise somewhere, or in Hawaii or some other great place. We want those pictures,” Levin said in a video soliciting images from the public.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026

Becerra pointed to his experiences leading the sprawling federal health agency in the Biden administration, including dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, the wildfires that devastated Maui, Hawaii, avian flu and monkey pox.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

The company also said demand has been hurt by unrest in Mexico as well as rainstorms and flooding in Hawaii.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

In August, the actor opened up to Travel + Leisure about his close bond with his home, explaining that he never feels more comfortable than he does when he’s in Hawaii.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

She was a free spirit who would go on to spend years moving between Hawaii and Indonesia.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama