Oklahoma

American  

[oh-kluh-hoh-muh] / ˌoʊ kləˈhoʊ mə /

noun

1. a state in the south central United States. 69,919 square miles (181,090 square kilometers). Oklahoma City. OK (for use with zip code), Okla.

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Oklahoma British  

/ ˌəʊkləˈhəʊmə /

noun

1. Abbreviation: Okla..   OK.  a state in the S central US: consists of plains in the west, rising to mountains in the southwest and east; important for oil. Capital: Oklahoma City. Pop: 3 511 532 (2003 est). Area: 181 185 sq km (69 956 sq miles)

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Oklahoma! ¹ Cultural  

1. A musical comedy by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. It began a new era of sophistication in musical comedy and was the first of several very successful Rodgers and Hammerstein shows. “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning,” “Oklahoma,” and “People Will Say We're in Love” are songs from Oklahoma!

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Oklahoma ² Cultural  

1. State in the southwestern United States, bordered by Colorado and Kansas to the north, Missouri and Arkansas to the east, Texas to the south, and New Mexico to the west. Its capital and largest city is Oklahoma City.

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Other Word Forms

• Oklahoman adjective

Etymology

Origin of Oklahoma

First recorded in 1895–1900; from Choctaw Oklahommaʔ “Indian (i.e., North American Indian)”, equivalent to oklah “people, nation” + ommaʔ “red,” coined by the Choctaw scholar and Presbyterian minister Allen Wright (1826–85), later principal chief of the Choctaw Nation (1866–70), and originally applied to the Indian Territory; Five Civilized Nations ( def. ), Indian Territory ( def. )

Example Sentences

They will twice face an Oklahoma City team that has the best record in the league and a Suns team that has a 3-1 record against the Lakers.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026

Following the win, Rivian executives are eyeing other states that, like Washington, ban direct sales but also allow ballot initiatives: Arkansas, Ohio, Oklahoma, Montana, Nebraska and South Dakota.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

“Regional manufacturing activity rose moderately from last month, posting its highest reading since July 2022,” Cortney Cowley, assistant vice president and Oklahoma City Branch executive, said in a statement on Thursday.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

Oklahoma became the first state in 2023 to pass a comprehensive statewide caregiver tax credit, followed by Nebraska in 2024.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

In Oklahoma I spoke like a kid who learned English from a book.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri