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North Carolina

American  

noun

  1. a state in the southeastern United States, on the Atlantic coast. 52,586 square miles (136,198 square kilometers). Raleigh. NC (for use with zip code), N.C.


North Carolina British  

noun

  1. Abbreviation: N.C..   NC.  a state of the southeastern US, on the Atlantic: consists of a coastal plain rising to the Piedmont Plateau and the Appalachian Mountains in the west. Capital: Raleigh. Pop: 8 407 248 (2003 est). Area: 126 387 sq km (48 798 sq miles)

"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

North Carolina Cultural  
  1. State in the southeastern United States bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina and Georgia to the south, and Tennessee to the west. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte.


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One of the Confederate states during the Civil War.

One of the thirteen colonies.

Other Word Forms

  • North Carolinian adjective

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.

There’s a history of teams returning from North Carolina as No. 1 in America and suddenly losing.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

During my clerkship at the North Carolina Supreme Court, I was present when the court issued the decision that ultimately became the basis for the U.S.

From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026

Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and raised in North Carolina, she will become the first woman to travel to the Moon.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

In 2023, he agreed to a new arena lease in Raleigh, North Carolina, for his professional hockey team, the Carolina Hurricanes.

From Salon • Mar. 30, 2026

McKissick’s first chance to join in a collective direct action against segregation came in 1947 while he was attending law school at North Carolina College in Durham.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson