United States

[yoo-nahy-tid steyts]

noun

(used with a singular verb)

1. Official Name United States of America. a federal republic in the northern Western Hemisphere comprising 48 contiguous states, the District of Columbia, Alaska in North America, and Hawaii in the North Pacific, and in some contexts considered along with its five inhabited island territories (Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, North Mariana Islands,American Samoa ). Conterminous United States, 3,119,885 square miles (8,080,465 square kilometers); with Alaska and Hawaii, 3,796,742 square miles (9,833,517 square kilometers); all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the island territories, 3,805,927 square miles (9,857,306 square kilometers) Washington, D.C. U.S., US

Other Word Forms

• anti–United States adjective
• pro–United States adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of United States¹

First recorded in 1600–10, in reference to the United Provinces of the Netherlands, and in 1770–80 for the United States of America ( def. )

Example Sentences

If you live in the United States or Canada, your focus will probably be on Latin America.

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In the United States, California has set the pace, enacting a series of laws in 2024 that make transparency and integrity in AI use not just ethical ideals, but a legal requirement.

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A team of Ukrainian negotiators was on Saturday headed to the United States for talks on Washington's plan to end the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

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The election happened amid a US military buildup in the Caribbean where it has deployed the world's largest aircraft carrier, officially to tackle drug smuggling from Venezuela into the United States.

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But Castro has maintained a cooperative relationship with the US, agreeing to preserve a long-running extradition treaty with the United States.

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