interstate

American  

[in-ter-steyt, in-ter-steyt] / ˌɪn tərˈsteɪt, ˈɪn tərˌsteɪt /

adjective

1. connecting or involving different states.

   interstate commerce.

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noun

1. a highway serving two or more states.

2. (sometimes initial capital letter) a highway that is part of the nationwide U.S. Interstate Highway System.

interstate British  

/ ˈɪntəˌsteɪt /

adjective

1. between or involving two or more of the states of the US, Australia, etc

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adverb

1. to or into another state

verb

1. a motorway crossing between states

Other Word Forms

• noninterstate adjective

Etymology

Origin of interstate

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45; inter- + state

Compare meaning

How does interstate compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• interstate vs. intrastate
• interstate vs. highway

Explanation

If something is interstate, it happens between different U.S. states. For example, you can drive on Interstate 80 from downtown San Francisco, California to Teaneck, New Jersey. Yep, that's a trip. If you're driving from Rhode Island to Illinois, you can call it interstate travel, or an interstate road trip — you're going from state to state. An interstate highway connects different states together, like I-95, which is an east coast interstate highway that stretches from Maine to Florida. For short, you can call a road like this an interstate. This 20th century word combines inter-, "between," and state.

Example Sentences

All the other states, who controlled international and interstate migration, were restrictionist.

From Slate • Mar. 16, 2026

That is the most ambitious capital deployment since the interstate highway system, chasing AI-services revenue that remains a fraction of the capital deployed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 15, 2026

The requested two-year exemption would allow Zoox to make and deploy its vehicles for interstate commerce, according to the application.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 11, 2026

General Manager Dan Denham said the agreement, if approved by other agencies, could clear the way for the first-ever interstate transfers of Colorado River water starting next year.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

After getting off the interstate, he drove some ten or fifteen miles before coming upon a wooden sign illuminated only by a single spotlight secured to the ground below it.

From "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley

Related Words

• artery
• avenue
• boulevard
• freeway
• parking lot
• path
• roadway
• street
• superhighway
• thoroughfare
• track
• turnpike