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

See Examples For:

Mississippi

Union Pacific’s tracks are west of the Mississippi.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

The family of Nolan Wells, a Mississippi teenager who was found dead after going missing last weekend, is demanding answers about what happened to him.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

Thousands showed up to Huntington Beach’s holiday parade, billed as the biggest west of the Mississippi River and going strong for 122 years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, both conservatives, joined the three liberal justices on the top court in voting to uphold the Mississippi law.

From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026

The state of Mississippi eventually moved from hiring convict labor to organizing its own convict labor camp, known as Parchman Farm.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander