Meanings
proper noun
alternative Washington · alternative Washington DC · alternative Washington D.C. · alternative Washington D. C. · alternative Washington, DC · alternative Washington, D. C.
- The capital city of the United States, formally known as the District of Columbia. Abbreviated as D.C. or DC.
Washington, D.C., with its wide streets, confounding roundabouts, marble statues, Doric columns, and domes, is supposed to feel like ancient Rome (that is, if the streets of ancient Rome were lined with homeless black people, bomb-sniffing dogs, tour buses, and cherry blossoms).
2015, Paul Beatty, The Sellout, Oneworld Publications (2016), page 4 - metonymicallyThe United States government.
Origin
Named for George Washington. The name "Washington, D.C." (analogous in form to "Richmond, VA") reflects the fact that at the time of its founding, it was only one of three cities in D.C., alongside Georgetown and Alexandria. (In 1871, Congress repealed the charters of Georgetown and Washington and created a unitary territorial government for the whole District of Columbia.)
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans Washington, D.C.
- Washington, D.C.federal capital of the United States of America
Arabic وَاشِنْطُن الْعَاصِمَة, وَاشِنْطُن
- وَاشِنْطُن الْعَاصِمَة (wāšinṭun al-ʕāṣima)federal capital of the United States of America
- وَاشِنْطُن (wāšinṭun)federal capital of the United States of America
- بواشنطن دي سيfederal capital of the United States of America
- واشنتن دي سيfederal capital of the United States of America
Basque Washington
- Washingtonfederal capital of the United States of America
Bengali ওয়াশিংটন, ডি.সি., ওয়াশিংটন
- ওয়াশিংটন, ডি.সি. (ōẇaśiṅṭon, ḍi.śi.)federal capital of the United States of America
- ওয়াশিংটন (ōẇaśiṅṭon)federal capital of the United States of America
Bulgarian Вашингтон
- Вашингтон (Vašington)federal capital of the United States of America
Catalan Washington DC
- Washington DCfederal capital of the United States of America
Chinese Cantonese 華盛頓 /华盛顿, 華府 /华府
- 華盛頓 /华盛顿 (waa⁴ sing⁶ deon⁶)federal capital of the United States of America
- 華府 /华府 (waa⁴ fu²)federal capital of the United States of America
Chinese Mandarin 華盛頓特區 /华盛顿特区, 華府 /华府
- 華盛頓特區 /华盛顿特区 (Huáshèngdùn tèqū)federal capital of the United States of America
- 華府 /华府 (Huáfǔ)federal capital of the United States of America
Czech Washington, D.C.
- Washington, D.C.federal capital of the United States of America
Danish Washington, Washington D.C.
- Washingtonfederal capital of the United States of America
- Washington D.C.federal capital of the United States of America
Dutch Washington D.C.
- Washington D.C.federal capital of the United States of America
Esperanto Vaŝingtono
- Vaŝingtonofederal capital of the United States of America
Estonian Washington
- Washingtonfederal capital of the United States of America
Finnish Washington
- Washingtonfederal capital of the United States of America
French Washington, Washington, district de Columbia
- Washingtonfederal capital of the United States of America
- Washington, district de Columbiafederal capital of the United States of America
German Washington, D.C., Washington
- Washington, D.C.federal capital of the United States of America
- Washingtonfederal capital of the United States of America
Greek Ουάσινγκτον
- Ουάσινγκτον (Ouásingkton)federal capital of the United States of America
Hawaiian Wakinekona, D.C.
- Wakinekona, D.C.federal capital of the United States of America
Hebrew וושינגטון די. סי.
- וושינגטון די. סי. (wáshington di si)federal capital of the United States of America
Hindi वॉशिंगटन डी॰ सी॰, वॉशिंगटन
- वॉशिंगटन डी॰ सी॰ (vŏśiṅgṭan ḍī. sī.)federal capital of the United States of America
- वॉशिंगटन (vŏśiṅgṭan)federal capital of the United States of America
Hungarian Washington
- Washingtonfederal capital of the United States of America
Icelandic Washington
- Washingtonfederal capital of the United States of America
Indonesian Washington, D.C.
- Washington, D.C.federal capital of the United States of America
Irish Washington, D.C.
- Washington, D.C.federal capital of the United States of America
Italian Washington
- Washingtonfederal capital of the United States of America
Japanese ワシントンDC, ワシントンD.C.
- ワシントンDC (Washinton-dīshī)federal capital of the United States of America
- ワシントンD.C. (Washinton-dī shī)federal capital of the United States of America
- 華盛頓 (Washinton)federal capital of the United States of America
- 華府 (Kafu)federal capital of the United States of America
Korean 워싱턴 D.C.
- 워싱턴 D.C. (wosingteon D.C.)federal capital of the United States of America
Latin Vasingtonia, Vasintonia
- Vasingtoniafederal capital of the United States of America
- Vasintoniafederal capital of the United States of America
Latvian Vašingtona
- Vašingtonafederal capital of the United States of America
Lithuanian Vašingtonas
- Vašingtonasfederal capital of the United States of America
Malay Washington, D.C.
- Washington, D.C.federal capital of the United States of America
Norwegian Bokmål Washington D.C.
- Washington D.C.federal capital of the United States of America
Persian واشینگتن دی.سی.
- واشینگتن دی.سی. (vâšengton di.si.)federal capital of the United States of America
Polish Waszyngton
- Waszyngtonfederal capital of the United States of America
Portuguese Washington D.C.
- Washington D.C.federal capital of the United States of America
Punjabi ਵਾਸ਼ਿੰਗਟਨ, ਡੀ.ਸੀ.
- ਵਾਸ਼ਿੰਗਟਨ, ਡੀ.ਸੀ. (vāśiṅgṭana, ḍī.sī.)federal capital of the United States of America
Romanian Washington, D.C., Washington
- Washington, D.C.federal capital of the United States of America
- Washingtonfederal capital of the United States of America
Russian Вашингто́н, о́круг Колу́мбия, Вашингто́н
- Вашингто́н, о́круг Колу́мбия (Vašingtón, ókrug Kolúmbija)federal capital of the United States of America
- Вашингто́н (Vašingtón)federal capital of the United States of America
Scottish Gaelic Washington, D.C.
- Washington, D.C.federal capital of the United States of America
Slovak Washington D.C.
- Washington D.C.federal capital of the United States of America
Spanish Washington D. C.
- Washington D. C.federal capital of the United States of America
Swahili Washington, D.C.
- Washington, D.C.federal capital of the United States of America
Swedish Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Washingtonfederal capital of the United States of America
- Washington, D.C.federal capital of the United States of America
Tagalog Washington, D.C.
- Washington, D.C.federal capital of the United States of America
Tamil வாசிங்டன், டி. சி.
- வாசிங்டன், டி. சி. (vāciṅṭaṉ, ṭi. ci.)federal capital of the United States of America
Thai วอชิงตัน ดี.ซี.
- วอชิงตัน ดี.ซี. (waaw-ching-dtan di. si.)federal capital of the United States of America
Turkish Washington, D.C., Vaşington, D.C.
- Washington, D.C.federal capital of the United States of America
- Vaşington, D.C.federal capital of the United States of America
Ukrainian Вашингтон
- Вашингтон (Vašynhton)federal capital of the United States of America
Urdu واشنگٹن ڈی سی
- واشنگٹن ڈی سی (vŏśiṅgṭan ḍī sī)federal capital of the United States of America
Vietnamese Washington, D.C., Hoa Thịnh Đốn
- Washington, D.C.federal capital of the United States of America
- Hoa Thịnh Đốnfederal capital of the United States of America
- Oa-sinh-tơn, D.C.federal capital of the United States of America
Welsh Washington, D.C.
- Washington, D.C.federal capital of the United States of America
Yiddish וואַשינגטאָן די סי
- וואַשינגטאָן די סי (vashington di si)federal capital of the United States of America
Cite this entry
APA
Washington, D.C.. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Washington%2C%20D.C.
MLA
“Washington, D.C..” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Washington%2C%20D.C.. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Washington, D.C.,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Washington%2C%20D.C..
Source: Washington, D.C. on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.