Mississippi

American  

[mis-uh-sip-ee] / ˌmɪs əˈsɪp i /

noun

1. a state in the southern United States. 47,716 sq. mi. (123,585 sq. km). Jackson. MS (for use with zip code), Miss.

2. a river flowing south from northern Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico: the principal river of the United States. 2,470 miles (3,975 km) long; from the headwaters of the Missouri to the Gulf of Mexico 3,988 miles (6,418 km) long.

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Mississippi British  

/ ˌmɪsɪˈsɪpɪ /

noun

1. Abbreviation: Miss.   MS.  a state of the southeastern US, on the Gulf of Mexico: consists of a largely forested undulating plain, with swampy regions in the northwest and on the coast, the Mississippi River forming the W border; cotton, rice, and oil. Capital: Jackson. Pop: 2 881 281 (2003 est). Area: 122 496 sq km (47 296 sq miles)

2. a river in the central US, rising in NW Minnesota and flowing generally south to the Gulf of Mexico through several mouths, known as the Passes: the second longest river in North America (after its tributary, the Missouri), with the third largest drainage basin in the world (after the Amazon and the Congo). Length: 3780 km (2348 miles)

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Mississippi Cultural  

1. State in the southern United States bordered by Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico and Louisiana to the south, and Louisiana and Arkansas to the west. Its capital and largest city is Jackson.

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Discover More

One of the Confederate states during the Civil War.

Its name comes from the Mississippi River, which forms most of the state's western border.

Example Sentences

Some farmers may reduce how much fertilizer they use in response to the higher prices, said Josh Maples, associate professor in the department of agricultural economics at Mississippi State University Extension.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026

Prior to this road trip, the furthest my dog had traveled from home was Mississippi — about two hours away — for a disastrous night in a cabin I’d rented for my ex’s 40th birthday.

From Salon • Jun. 1, 2026

It wasn’t as impactful as when he photographed the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago or civil rights marches in 1960s Mississippi.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

In dissent, Justice Neil Gorsuch, a Trump appointee, said the Mississippi state courts had concluded that Pitchford’s trial team had forfeited a portion of their argument about racially discriminatory jury selection.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

From the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River, and south from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico was one of the most fertile agricultural belts in the world.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz