lower 48

American  

[loh-er fawr-tee-eyt] / ˈloʊ ər ˈfɔr tiˈeɪt /

Or Lower 48

noun

Informal.

1. the conterminous United States.

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Etymology

Origin of lower 48

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Bald eagles in the lower 48 were in danger of extinction by the early 1960s, shot in droves by hunters in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and poisoned by DDT after World War II.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

The first exports from the lower 48 states began to flow in February of that year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026

There were an estimated about 8,000 animals across the lower 48 states in 2022, according to a compilation of wildlife agency data by the Wolf Conservation Center.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 30, 2024

Through their new metric, which they call snow water storage, they identified a 22% drop in how much water is held annually in the mountain snowpacks of the lower 48 states.

From Science Daily • Mar. 15, 2024

The park’s mountains, forests and meadows are home to the largest concentration of mammals in the lower 48 states, including the native bison and a restored population of gray wolves.

From New York Times • Oct. 27, 2023