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

• Oregonian
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Oregon

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Oregon

Elizabeth Carter lost her son and daughter-in-law in a road crash a year ago in Oregon.

From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore left Saturday’s game against USC after a vicious late shot.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

University of Oregon biologists have brought prehistoric proteins back to life, reconstructing molecules that date back as far as 160 million years and naturally attack microbes.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026

Oregon coach Dan Lanning called the hit “disgusting.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026

We grilled up steaks and, this being Oregon, tofu pups and veggie burgers.

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman