Pennsylvania

American  

[pen-suhl-veyn-yuh, -vey-nee-uh] / ˌpɛn səlˈveɪn jə, -ˈveɪ ni ə /

noun

1. a state in the eastern United States. 45,333 sq. mi. (117,410 sq. km). Harrisburg. PA (for use with zip code), Pa., Penn., Penna.

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Pennsylvania British  

/ ˌpɛnsɪlˈveɪnɪə /

noun

1. Abbreviation: Pa.   Penn.   Penna.   PA.  a state of the northeastern US: almost wholly in the Appalachians, with the Allegheny Plateau to the west and a plain in the southeast; the second most important US state for manufacturing. Capital: Harrisburg. Pop: 12 365 455 (2003 est). Area: 116 462 sq km (44 956 sq miles)

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Pennsylvania Cultural  

1. State in the northeastern United States bordered by Lake Erie and New York to the north; New Jersey to the east; Delaware, Maryland, and West Virginia to the south; and Ohio to the west. Its capital is Harrisburg, and its largest city is Philadelphia.

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Named after the father of William Penn, a devout Quaker, who was granted proprietary rights by the king of England to almost the whole of what is now Pennsylvania in the late seventeenth century.

One of the thirteen colonies.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Pennsylvania

“On a fairly recent Regent cruise, Regent did what appeared to be outstanding outreach to the solo travelers including hosting at least two dinners,” Keith Pladsen of Pennsylvania says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Legislators in New York and Pennsylvania proposed bills this year that would require employers to list hiring timelines and remove job ads after roles are filled.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

He may have fled Pennsylvania and has ties to California and Nevada.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

There is ample evidence to believe Ossoff’s rebuffs that he might prefer his home in Atlanta to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026

The Pennsylvania Abolition Society is formed; Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Benjamin Rush, another signer of the Declaration of Independence, are key organizers.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis