Tennessee

American  

[ten-uh-see] / ˌtɛn əˈsi /

noun

1. a state in the southeastern United States. 42,246 sq. mi. (109,415 sq. km). Nashville. TN (for use with zip code), Tenn.

2. a river flowing from eastern Tennessee through northern Alabama, western Tennessee, and southwestern Kentucky into the Ohio near Paducah. 652 miles (1,050 km) long.

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Tennessee British  

/ ˌtɛnɪˈsiː /

noun

1. Abbreviation: Tenn.   TN.  a state of the E central US: consists of a plain in the west, rising to the Appalachians and the Cumberland Plateau in the east. Capital: Nashville. Pop: 5 841 748 (2003 est). Area: 109 412 sq km (42 244 sq miles)

2. a river in the E central US, flowing southwest from E Tennessee into N Alabama, then west and north to the Ohio River at Paducah: the longest tributary of the Ohio; includes a series of dams and reservoirs under the Tennessee Valley Authority. Length: 1049 km (652 miles)

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Tennessee Cultural  

1. State in the south-central United States bordered by Kentucky and Virginia to the north; North Carolina to the east; Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi to the south; and Arkansas and Missouri to the west. Its capital is Nashville, and its largest city is Memphis.

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Discover More

One of the Confederate states during the Civil War.

Example Sentences

In the Elite Eight, they trounced Tennessee by 33 points.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

“These defendants will be transported to the Northern District of Texas to face their crimes,” said D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney in the Middle District of Tennessee said the office does not comment on investigations that do not result in public charges.

From Salon • Apr. 1, 2026

The US Army is investigating an incident in which two Apache attack helicopters flew near the Tennessee home of musician Kid Rock, an ardent supporter of President Donald Trump, a military spokesman said Tuesday.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

I found another four-leaf clover and a penny in a parking lot, and one time we drove across the state line into Tennessee, which is good for wishing if you clap three times first.

From "Wish" by Barbara O'Connor