Oregon

American  

[awr-i-guhn, ‑-gon, or‑] / ˈɔr ɪ gən, ‑ˌgɒn, ˈɒr‑ /

noun

1. a state in the northwestern United States, on the Pacific coast. 96,981 square miles (251,180 square kilometers). Salem. OR (for use with zip code), Oreg., Ore.

2. a city in northwestern Ohio.

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Oregon British  

/ ˈɒrɪɡən /

noun

1. Abbreviation: Oreg..   OR.  a state of the northwestern US, on the Pacific: consists of the Coast and Cascade Ranges in the west and a plateau in the east; important timber production. Capital: Salem. Pop: 3 559 596 (2003 est). Area: 251 418 sq km (97 073 sq miles)

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Oregon Cultural  

1. State in the northwestern United States bordered by Washington to the north, Idaho to the east, Nevada and California to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Its capital is Salem, and its largest city is Portland.

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Discover More

Before the coming of the railroads, the Oregon Trail was used as an overland emigration route from the Missouri River to the Columbia River country (all of which was then called Oregon).

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Oregonian
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Oregon

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

And, in the case of University of Oregon wide receiver Dakorien Moore, that amounted to upward of $80,000.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026

“I am generally supportive of the concept of embryo editing to prevent genetic disease,” said Dr. Paula Amato, a fertility expert at Oregon Health & Science University who wasn’t involved in the research.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

He enrolled at the University of Oregon in the fall but convinced his mom to let him drop out to pursue music.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

Harris is excited about his future and wants to be a two-sport athlete at the next level, having received multiple offers while citing UCLA, USC, Texas Tech, Miami and Oregon State among his favorite destinations.

From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2026

Ogden and Kira “retired” to their home in Oregon and started a nonprofit educational software company, Halcydonia Interactive, which created free interactive adventure games for kids.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline