Pennsylvania

American  

[pen-suhl-veyn-yuh, -vey-nee-uh] / ˌpɛn səlˈveɪn yə, -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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Discover More

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

A number of cities in Pennsylvania, including Harrisburg and Allentown, have used higher tax rates on land than on buildings, with evidence of increased development and reduced vacancy.

From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026

But similar stories of welfare fraud have emerged in Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and elsewhere, all covered by local media.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

The bill has been introduced in Wisconsin, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Nevada.

From Salon • Apr. 15, 2026

The first edition of the raffle was won by a 25-year-old American from Pennsylvania in 2013, with funds raised to help preserve the Lebanese city of Tyre - a Unesco World Heritage Site.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

At an Army base in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, an elite helicopter squadron waited on high alert with one assignment.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin