Pennsylvania

American  

[pen-suhl-veyn-yuh, -vey-nee-uh] / ˌpɛn səlˈveɪn jə, -ˈveɪ ni ə /

noun

1. a state in the eastern United States. 45,333 sq. mi. (117,410 sq. km). Harrisburg. PA (for use with zip code), Pa., Penn., Penna.

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Pennsylvania British  

/ ˌpɛnsɪlˈveɪnɪə /

noun

1. Abbreviation: Pa.   Penn.   Penna.   PA.  a state of the northeastern US: almost wholly in the Appalachians, with the Allegheny Plateau to the west and a plain in the southeast; the second most important US state for manufacturing. Capital: Harrisburg. Pop: 12 365 455 (2003 est). Area: 116 462 sq km (44 956 sq miles)

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Pennsylvania Cultural  

1. State in the northeastern United States bordered by Lake Erie and New York to the north; New Jersey to the east; Delaware, Maryland, and West Virginia to the south; and Ohio to the west. Its capital is Harrisburg, and its largest city is Philadelphia.

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Discover More

Named after the father of William Penn, a devout Quaker, who was granted proprietary rights by the king of England to almost the whole of what is now Pennsylvania in the late seventeenth century.

One of the thirteen colonies.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Pennsylvania

Since I live in Pennsylvania, I understand that I will owe a 15% inheritance tax, leaving me with approximately $17,000 to invest or save.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded the first outbreak to include four more states — Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

In June, thousands came to Tunkhannock Viaduct in Pennsylvania to see it traverse the concrete arch bridge.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

The impacts have been far-reaching, with a thick blanket of smoke spreading across US states, from Minnesota and Michigan to Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

Pennsylvania coal country was the most dangerous place to work in America.

From "Fannie Never Flinched" by Mary Cronk Farrell