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

And, for me, a loaf of chocolate zucchini bread from a little Amish market and greenhouse somewhere outside Ona, West Virginia.

From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026

Appalachia -- a region defined by the Appalachian Mountains that includes all of West Virginia and parts of a dozen other states -- is a major mining hub in the United States.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

Some growers are embracing contrast marketing—like West Virginia farmer Eli Cook, who tripled his daily sales to $7,000 after running social posts comparing the safety of his produce to store-bought risk.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

Most US states have imposed a ban, leaving two racing tracks in West Virginia as the last active operations.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

It was up to her, therefore, to make certain I would not embarrass Big Creek High School or, for that matter, the entire state of West Virginia in Indianapolis.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam