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 Utah, the governor has signed two related bills into law, and in Tennessee and Indiana, bills are awaiting their governors’ signature.

From Salon • Apr. 10, 2026

Volkswagen VOW3 -1.63%decrease; red down pointing triangle will stop producing the ID.4 electric crossover at its Tennessee assembly plant, the latest casualty in the U.S. auto industry’s retreat from EVs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

“They’re becoming more prevalent and they’re slowly making their way across the Southeast. When we recently did work in Tennessee, every single rock alcove had one in it.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Georgia's 14th congressional district encompasses the northwest part of the state, from the northwest Atlanta suburbs all the way up to the Tennessee border.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

There don't tend to be a lot of crackling fireplaces during the Tennessee summer, and Colin didn't smoke, so no matches were on hand.

From "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green