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

---

Other Word 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

As Isaac Asimov observed, “There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been.”

From Salon

“Across the United States, communities are pushing back against these projects,” Salgado said.

From Los Angeles Times

It all leaves Foden as one of the players whose place on the plane to the United States is uncertain, wondering if a big opportunity had passed him by against Uruguay.

From BBC

The case was heard in the United States rather than Argentina mainly because YPF is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

From Barron's

More than a third of US gas capacity directly powers data centers in the United States, according to a recent study by Global Energy Monitor, a think tank.

From Barron's