United States

American  

[yoo-nahy-tid steyts] / yuˈnaɪ tɪd ˈsteɪts /

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 Word Forms

• anti–United States adjective
• pro–United States adjective

Etymology

Origin of United States

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

"It was a great honor to be appointed by the Court as Interim United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia," Hundley said, in part, in a statement to the BBC.

From BBC

Travellers’ Tour Through the United States was a novelty that featured a hand-colored map of the then-24 states, peppered with towns and landmarks.

From The Wall Street Journal

“These markets make sure that we get it right—and I think it’s very important to protect that here in the United States with the right guardrails.”

From The Wall Street Journal

But cabbage consumption, at least in the United States, remains low.

From Salon

While welcoming the strengthening of the Philippines' treaty relationship with the United States in recent years, Hontiveros said Manila hoped to bring even more "like-minded nations" into the fold.

From Barron's