West Virginia

American  

noun

1. a state in the eastern United States. 24,181 sq. mi. (62,629 sq. km). Charleston. WV (for use with zip code), W.Va.

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West Virginia British  

noun

1. Abbreviation: W Va.   W. Va..   WV.  a state of the eastern US: part of Virginia until the outbreak of the American Civil War (1861); consists chiefly of the Allegheny Plateau; bounded on the west by the Ohio River; coal-mining. Capital: Charleston. Pop: 1 810 354 (2003 est). Area: 62 341 sq km (24 070 sq miles)

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West Virginia Cultural  

1. State in the southeastern United States bordered by Pennsylvania and Maryland to the north, Virginia to the east and south, and Kentucky and Ohio to the west. Its capital and largest city is Charleston.

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Ranks first in bituminous coal production, with about twenty percent of the nation's total.

Separated from Virginia after Virginia seceded from the Union in 1861; it was granted statehood in 1863, during the Civil War.

Other Word Forms

• West Virginian
  adjective

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

West Virginia

Mesidor, a linebacker who played collegiately at West Virginia and Miami, was selected 22nd overall.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

Centers for Disease Control reported more than 400 people infected with Cyclospora across Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky.

From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026

The CDC advises not to eat shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

Shredded iceberg lettuce is responsible for at least some of the current outbreak, and the CDC is advising to avoid eating it at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

The day would come when he would leave West Virginia and move to Florida, where he would be electrocuted while cleaning a swimming pool.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam