United States

American  

[yoo-nahy-tid steyts] / yuˈnaɪ tɪd ˈsteɪts /

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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of United States

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

The country now expects over 5 million visitors as it co-hosts the world's premier football championship alongside Canada and the United States.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

AFP accompanied a training exercise for the elite military squad behind the operations against "El Mencho" and Ovidio Guzman, the son of "El Chapo" who was captured in 2023 and extradited to the United States.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

The next test will come on Sunday, when Iran are due to fly into the United States for the first time.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

The United States has the world's most powerful military.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

During the decade of Spiritualism’s rise, immigration to the United States was growing.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock