Rhode Island

American  

[rohd] / roʊd /

noun

1. a state of the northeastern United States, on the Atlantic coast: a part of New England. 1,214 square miles (3,145 square kilometers). Providence. RI (for use with zip code), R.I.

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Rhode Island British  

/ rəʊd /

noun

1. Abbreviations: R.I.   RI.  a state of the northeastern US, bordering on the Atlantic: the smallest state in the US; mainly low-lying and undulating, with an indented coastline in the east and uplands in the northwest Capital: Providence. Pop: 1 076 164 (2003 est). Area: 2717 sq km (1049 sq miles)

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Rhode Island Cultural  

1. State in the northeastern United States; one of the New England states. Bordered by Massachusetts to the north and east, the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and Connecticut to the west. Its capital and largest city is Providence.

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Discover More

After he was banished from Massachusetts for speaking out in favor of religious toleration, Roger Williams established the first settlement in the area at Providence in the early seventeenth century.

One of the thirteen colonies.

Rhode Island is the smallest state of the United States.

Other Word Forms

• Rhode Islander
  noun

Example Sentences

Rhode Island has tax going into effect this summer on certain vacation homes valued at $1 million or more.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

A taste of New England in West Hollywood, it quickly became known for fried clams and chowders harkening to Cimarusti’s Rhode Island childhood and plump lobster rolls filled with never-frozen lobster.

From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026

Thankfully, the Rhode Island Child Advocate appears uncowed by this barrage of threats.

From Slate • May 19, 2026

"You're the president's consigliere," the Democrat from Rhode Island said.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

He’d graduated from the University of Rhode Island, earned a business degree at Babson College, and spent most of his career working sleepy jobs at sleepy life insurance companies—but all that was in the past.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis