Illinois

¹ American  

[il-uh-noi, -noiz] / ˌɪl əˈnɔɪ, -ˈnɔɪz /

noun

• Illinois
  plural

1. a member of a confederacy of North American Indians of Algonquian stock, formerly occupying Illinois and adjoining regions westward.

2. the Algonquian language of the Illinois and Miami Indians.

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Illinois ² American  

[il-uh-noi, -noiz] / ˌɪl əˈnɔɪ, -ˈnɔɪz /

noun

1. a state in the central United States: a part of the Midwest. 56,400 sq. mi. (146,075 sq. km). Springfield. IL (for use with zip code), Ill.

2. a river flowing southwest from northeastern Illinois to the Mississippi River: connected by a canal with Lake Michigan. 273 miles (440 km) long.

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Illinois British  

/ ˌɪlɪˈnɔɪ /

noun

1. Abbreviation: Ill., IL. a state of the N central US, in the Midwest: consists of level prairie crossed by the Illinois and Kaskaskia Rivers; mainly agricultural. Capital: Springfield. Pop: 12 653 544 (2003 est). Area: 144 858 sq km (55 930 sq miles)

2. a river in Illinois, flowing SW to the Mississippi. Length: 439 km (273 miles)

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Illinois Cultural  

1. State in the north-central United States bordered on the north by Wisconsin, the east by Indiana, the south by Kentucky, and the west by Missouri and Iowa. Its capital is Springfield, and its largest city is Chicago.

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Pronunciation

The pronunciation of Illinois with a final , which occurs chiefly among less educated speakers, is least common in Illinois itself, increasing in frequency as distance from the state increases.

Discover More

Known as the “Land of Lincoln” because Abraham Lincoln began his political career there.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Illinois
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of Illinois

1715–25, < French, earlier Eriniouai, Ilinoués, etc., from an unidentified Algonquian language, apparently literally, “one who sounds normal” (i.e., “a person who speaks an Algonquian language”), equivalent to the (unattested) Proto-Algonquian elements elen- “ordinary” + -we “make sound”

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Illinois

Illinois does not have filial responsibility laws, so adult children are not financially responsible for their parents.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026

Callie Baird, an analyst who worked at Action from 2023 until April 2025, mostly in Illinois, said she recommended cutting hours for one of her patients so he could transition to kindergarten.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

Her election came 20 years after that of the first Black woman senator, Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois.

From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2026

Some states, such as Illinois and Minnesota, have established commissions to begin the work of accountability already.

From Slate ● Oct. 21, 2026

But the Joneses knew there were more sheriffs lurking in towns throughout Illinois and across the northern states.

From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield

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