Massachusetts

American  

[mas-uh-choo-sits] / ˌmæs əˈtʃu sɪts /

noun

1. a state in the northeastern United States, on the Atlantic coast. 8,257 square miles (21,385 square kilometers). Boston. MA (for use with zip code), Mass.

2. Massachusett.

---

Massachusetts British  

/ ˌmæsəˈtʃuːsɪts /

noun

1. Abbreviation: Mass.   MA.  a state of the northeastern US, on the Atlantic: a centre of resistance to English colonial policy during the War of American Independence; consists of a coastal plain rising to mountains in the west. Capital: Boston. Pop: 6 433 422 (2003 est). Area: 20 269 sq km (7826 sq miles)

---

Massachusetts Cultural  

1. State in the northeastern United States; one of the New England states. Bordered by Vermont and New Hampshire to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, and New York to the west. Its capital and largest city is Boston.

---

Discover More

One of the thirteen colonies, playing a key role in resisting the British before and during the Revolutionary War.

The settlement of Massachusetts began in 1620, when the first Pilgrims arrived from England in the Mayflower near Plymouth Rock.

Example Sentences

The Massachusetts native, a former journalist, just completed a 24-city book tour while pregnant with her first child.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

They were identified to CBS News Boston as a family from Greenfield, Massachusetts - Dmitri Doncev, his wife, Ecaterina, their daughter Emily and son Mark.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026

Elizabeth Strout’s 11th novel centers on Artie Dam, a high-school history teacher in Massachusetts, whose fortunate home life and warm relationship with his students doesn’t prevent him from confronting a crisis of meaning.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

Previously, she interned as a news anchor for Amherst Media in Massachusetts and worked in the communications field.

From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026

I couldn’t explain why I wanted to drive one hundred twenty-five miles to ask an old man with memory problems what he and my mom knew about the white sharks coming to Massachusetts.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen