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Madison

American  
[mad-uh-suhn] / ˈmæd ə sən /

noun

  1. Dolly or Dolley Dorothea Payne, 1768–1849, wife of James Madison.

  2. James, 1751–1836, 4th president of the U.S. 1809–17.

  3. a city in and the capital of Wisconsin, in the S part.

  4. a city in NE New Jersey.

  5. a town in S Connecticut.

  6. a city in SE Indiana.

  7. a river in SW Montana and NW Wyoming, flowing N to join the Jefferson and Gallatin rivers and form the Missouri River. 183 miles (294 km) long.

  8. a dance in which the participants stand side by side in a line while one person, acting as leader, calls out various steps, each letter of the word “Madison” signaling a specific step.

Madison 1 British  
/ ˈmædɪsən /

noun

  1. James. 1751–1836, US statesman; 4th president of the US (1809–17). He helped to draft the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. His presidency was dominated by the War of 1812

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
madison 2 British  
/ ˈmædɪsən /

noun

  1. a type of cycle relay race

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Madison 3 British  
/ ˈmædɪsən /

noun

  1. a city in the US, in S central Wisconsin, on an isthmus between Lakes Mendota and Monona: the state capital. Pop: 218 432 (2003 est)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Madison Cultural  

  1. Capital of Wisconsin.

Discover More

Location of the main branch of the University of Wisconsin.

Etymology

Origin of madison

C20: from Madison Square Gardens in New York City, early venue for such races

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

James Madison felt the ambitions and vanities of men must be countered and balanced through conscious governmental structures.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

The Ashley Madison scandal was embarrassing but not illegal.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Les Délices de Awa – A must-try spot I can’t wait to return to the next time I’m in Madison.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

Madison Atiabi made the claim this week in an application for a temporary restraining order obtained by The Times.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

A few weeks before, another British admiral, George Cockburn, threatened to capture the president’s wife, Dolley Madison, and parade her through London’s streets as a war trophy.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.