Decatur

American

[dih-key-ter] / dɪˈkeɪ tər /

noun

Stephen, 1779–1820, U.S. naval officer.
a city in central Illinois.
a city in N Alabama.
a city in N Georgia, near Atlanta.

Decatur British

/ dəˈkeɪtə /

noun

Stephen. 1779–1820, US naval officer, noted for his raid on Tripoli harbour (1804) and his role in the War of 1812

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He received a full scholarship to study guitar at Millikin University in Decatur, Ill., but transferred to the New School in New York.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 24, 2025

“The most beautiful waterfall I’ve ever seen,” said Stephen Decatur, who works in disaster preparedness for the city of Dunsmuir.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2025

Located on Decatur Street, just a few steps from Cafe du Monde, it is impossible to pass by the storefront.

From Salon • Sep. 12, 2024

Daniel A. Moore Sr., who created a pioneering African American history museum in Atlanta when such initiatives were rare, died on March 4 in Decatur, Ga. He was 88.

From New York Times • Mar. 29, 2024

Images of other journeys flashed before them as they passed from light to darkness to light following the street lamps of Ponce de Leon into Decatur.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023