Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

Tamil Nadu

American  
[nah-doo] / ˈnɑ du /

noun

  1. a large state in S India: formerly a presidency; boundaries readjusted on a linguistic basis 1956. 50,216 sq. mi. (130,058 sq. km). Chennai.


Tamil Nadu British  
/ ˈtæmɪl nɑːˈduː /

noun

  1. Former name (until 1968): Madras.  a state of SE India, on the Coromandel Coast: reorganized in 1956 and 1960 and made smaller; consists of a coastal plain backed by hills, including the Nilgiri Hills in the west Capital: Chennai (formerly called Madras). Pop: 62 110 839 (2001). Area: 130 058 sq km (50 216 sq miles)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The Tamil Nadu Forest Department says it is examining their documentation, including whether rules governing the international movement and possession of CITES-listed animals were followed.

From BBC Aug. 13, 2026

"Who else will give you 250 rupees an hour just for doing housework?" said Sriramyachandra from her kitchen in Chennai in southern India's Tamil Nadu state.

From Barron's Jun. 11, 2026

The 50-year-old CEO is US-based, but hires workers from Tamil Nadu, where he grew up, one of India's international technology hubs.

From Barron's Jun. 11, 2026

It won only one out of 234 seats in Tamil Nadu and three out of 140 in next-door Kerala, both of which have significant numbers of Christians and Muslims.

From The Wall Street Journal May 6, 2026

These are common names in Tamil Nadu, so the coincidence is not so remarkable.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training