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.

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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)

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Example Sentences

The temperature read 36C but the radiologist, from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, said it felt hotter.

From Barron's • Jun. 30, 2026

Prominent Tamil Nadu environmental activist Piyush Manush said the fight to save the community's soul is not just about the city itself.

From Barron's • Jun. 25, 2026

In one project, she and fellow researchers interviewed women a year after cash-transfer schemes were introduced in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka - states where major parties had increasingly converged around unconditional transfers.

From BBC • May 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

Richard Parker was born in Bangla­desh and raised in Tamil Nadu, so why should he have a French ac­cent?

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel