Philadelphia

American  

[fil-uh-del-fee-uh] / ˌfɪl əˈdɛl fi ə /

noun

1. a city in SE Pennsylvania, on the Delaware River: Declaration of Independence signed here July 4, 1776.

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Philadelphia British  

/ ˌfɪləˈdɛlfɪə /

noun

1. a city and port in SE Pennsylvania, at the confluence of the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers: the fourth largest city in the US; founded by Quakers in 1682; cultural and financial centre of the American colonies and the federal capital (1790–1800); scene of the Continental Congresses (1774–83) and the signing of the Declaration of Independence (1776). Pop: 1 479 339 (2003 est)

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Philadelphia Cultural  

1. Largest city in Pennsylvania.

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Discover More

Philadelphia, the “City of Brotherly Love,” was founded in the late seventeenth century as a Quaker colony by William Penn.

Cultural center now and especially in colonial times. Its historical monuments include Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed; the Liberty Bell; and Congress Hall.

Example Sentences

The developer Michael Pestronk in Philadelphia had just finished pitching investors on a slate of new real-estate conversion projects on Tuesday, when he noticed five missed calls.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 9, 2026

Anissa grew up outside Philadelphia and is a graduate of Emerson College.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 9, 2026

Klein, a cultural reporter and critic in Philadelphia, has been a three-time finalist for the National Book Critics Circle’s Nona Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026

Just a week after Comcast announced a plan to spin off NBCUniversal, the Philadelphia media-and-broadband conglomerate said it’s buying a British broadcaster.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 6, 2026

In April, at a speech in Philadelphia, Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson sparked the president’s wrath by gently suggesting the United States might try harder to find a negotiated settlement in Vietnam.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin