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 Words From

• anti–U·nit·ed States adjective
• pro–U·nit·ed 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

Unlike kids in the United States, hunter-gatherer children in the Congo Basin have often learned how to hunt, identify edible plants and care for babies by the tender age of six or seven.

From Science Daily

In the United States, there are currently more adults living with cerebral palsy than children.

From Science Daily

The guitar was displayed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Ohio, United States.

From BBC

The Ukranian leader said it would be "very dangerous if we lose unity in Europe, and what is most important is unity between Ukraine and the United States".

From BBC

The section directly targets the 1619 Project by the New York Times, which ties the founding of the United States to its history of slavery and racism.

From Los Angeles Times