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

But he said goodbye to the United States in 2014 and moved to the eastern Caribbean Sea, specifically the island country St. Kitts and Nevis.

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Founded in 2013, Aligned currently operates more than 50 data centers across the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, and Colombia, with a projected capacity exceeding 5 gigawatts.

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Europe has lagged far behind the United States when it comes to economic growth, making it "absolutely critical" for policymakers there to tweak how they spend in order to boost growth and productivity, she added.

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Greer said Wednesday that "this is not just about the United States."

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China posted a surprise September increase in overall exports earlier this week, with big gains in Europe, Latin America, and the broader Asia region offsetting a 27% slump in goods shipped to the United States.

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