Kentucky

American  

[kuhn-tuhk-ee] / kənˈtʌk i /

noun

1. a state in the east central United States. 40,395 sq. mi. (104,625 sq. km). Frankfort. KY (for use with zip code), Ken., Ky.

2. a river flowing northwest from eastern Kentucky to the Ohio River. 259 miles (415 km) long.

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Kentucky British  

/ kɛnˈtʌkɪ /

noun

1. Abbreviation: Ken..   Ky..   KY.  a state of the S central US: consists of an undulating plain in the west, the Bluegrass region in the centre, the Tennessee and Ohio River basins in the southwest, and the Appalachians in the east. Capital: Frankfort. Pop: 4 117 827 (2003 est). Area: 102 693 sq km (39 650 sq miles)

2. a river in central Kentucky, rising in the Cumberland Mountains and flowing northwest to the Ohio River. Length: 417 km (259 miles)

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Kentucky Cultural  

1. State in the east-central United States bordered by Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to the east; Tennessee to the south; and Missouri to the west. Its capital is Frankfort. Louisville is its largest city.

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Discover More

The state is known for the breeding of race horses. The Kentucky Derby, a famous horse race, is held every year in Louisville.

Kentucky bluegrass is a type of folk music that originated in the southern United States. The music is named for a bluish-tinged grass that grows in Kentucky.

Other Word Forms

• Kentuckian
  adjective

Example Sentences

Another major national ACA player, Elevance Health, is asking for double-digit premium boosts in Indiana, Connecticut, Kentucky and Maine.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 8, 2026

"The senator continues to improve, and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session."

From Barron's • Jul. 7, 2026

TeraWulf’s stock is surging after Anthropic agreed to a 20-year lease to use the company’s data center in Kentucky.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 6, 2026

Then, outside of Shepherdsville, Kentucky, on Interstate 65 at approximately 4:27 a.m. on June 23, 1976, I saw “rollers” behind me.

From Salon • Jul. 3, 2026

That doctor has stayed on with his family, in spite of the danger—they’re from someplace in the South, Fyntan thought, Georgia or Kentucky.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver