Meanings
alternative Pensylvania · alternative Pensilvania
- A state of the United States. Capital: Harrisburg. Largest city: Philadelphia.
The vote was 54-46. The vote was mostly along party lines though Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania joined Republicans in supporting Bondi.
2025 February 4, Shania Shelton and Morgan Rimmer, “Senate votes to confirm Pam Bondi as attorney general”, in CNNSynonyms: PA, The Keystone State
- historicalA former colony of England, from 1681 to 1707, and of Great Britain, from 1707 to 1776, which grew progressively larger before becoming the present state.
- The first, and historically largest, now defunct US railroad, a hallmark of the industrial age.
- A hamlet in Cold Ashton parish, South Gloucestershire district, Gloucestershire, England (OS grid ref ST7473).
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounA state of the United States. Capital: Harrisburg. Largest city: Philadelphia.
Origin
- EnglishPenn
- Proto-Indo-European*sel-der.?
- Latinsilva
- Latinsilvānus
- Englishsylvan
- EnglishPennsylvania
From Penn (“William Penn”) + sylvan (“woods”) + -ia (“land”). On March 4, 1681, Charles II of England granted a land tract to William Penn for the area that now includes Pennsylvania. Penn then founded a colony there as a place of religious freedom for Quakers, and named it for the Latin sylva, silva (“wood”), thus Pennsylvania (“Penn’s woods”). Some propose that the Penn is derived from William’s more respected father, also named William Penn.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic بِنْسِيلْفَانِيَا, بِنْسِلْفِينْيَا
- بِنْسِيلْفَانِيَا (binsīlfāniyā)US state
- بِنْسِلْفِينْيَا (binsilfīnyā)US state
- بنسلفنية (binsilfinya)US state
- بِنْسِلْفَانْيَا (binsilfānyā)US state
Catalan Pennsilvània
- PennsilvàniaUS state
Chinese Cantonese 賓州 /宾州
- 賓州 /宾州 (ban¹ zau¹)US state
Chinese Mandarin 賓夕法尼亞 /宾夕法尼亚
- 賓夕法尼亞 /宾夕法尼亚 (Bīnxīfǎníyà)US state
Czech Pensylvánie
- PensylvánieUS state
Danish Pennsylvania, Pennsylvanien
- PennsylvaniaUS state
- PennsylvanienUS state
Dutch Pennsylvania, Pennsylvanië
- PennsylvaniaUS state
- PennsylvaniëUS state
Esperanto Pensilvanio
- PensilvanioUS state
Finnish Pennsylvania
- PennsylvaniaUS state
French Pennsylvanie
- PennsylvanieUS state
German Pennsylvanien, Pennsylvania
- PennsylvanienUS state
- PennsylvaniaUS state
Greek Πενσυλβάνια
- Πενσυλβάνια (Pensylvánia)US state
Hebrew פנסילבניה
- פנסילבניה (Pennsylvenia)US state
Hindi पेन्सिलवेनिया
- पेन्सिलवेनिया (pensilveniyā)US state
Irish Peinnsiolváin
- PeinnsiolváinUS state
Italian Pennsylvania, Pensilvania
- PennsylvaniaUS state
- PensilvaniaUS state
Japanese ペンシルベニア
- ペンシルベニア (Penshirubenia)US state
Korean 펜실베이니아, 펜실베니아
- 펜실베이니아 (Pensilbeinia)US state
- 펜실베니아 (Pensilbenia)US state
Latin Pennsilvania
- PennsilvaniaUS state
Latvian Pensilvānija
- PensilvānijaUS state
Lithuanian Pensilvanija
- PensilvanijaUS state
Persian پنسیلوانیا
- پنسیلوانیاUS state
Polish Pensylwania
- PensylwaniaUS state
Portuguese Pensilvânia
- PensilvâniaUS state
Russian Пенсильва́ния
- Пенсильва́ния (Pensilʹvánija)US state
Slovak Pensylvánia
- PensylvániaUS state
Spanish Pensilvania
- PensilvaniaUS state
Thai เพนซิลเวเนีย
- เพนซิลเวเนีย (pen-sil-wee-niia)US state
Turkish Pensilvanya
- PensilvanyaUS state
Ukrainian Пенсильванія
- Пенсильванія (Pensylʹvanija)US state
Yiddish פּענסילווייניע
- פּענסילווייניע (pensilveynye)US state
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with Pennsylvania
Cite this entry
Pennsylvania. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pennsylvania
“Pennsylvania.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pennsylvania. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Pennsylvania,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pennsylvania.
Source: Pennsylvania on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.