Meanings
- USgeographyThe contiguous continental states area of the United States, comprising 48 states in number, and the District of Columbia, excluding Alaska and Hawaii.
Every month, the University of Michigan’s Survey Research Centre conducts a telephone poll of at least 500 households selected to be broadly representative of the Lower 48 states.
2022 April 27, John Kemp, “Column: Global consumers balk at surging prices for durable goods”, in Mark Potter, editor, Reuters, archived from the original on 16 May 2022, CommoditiesSynonyms: contiguous 48, contiguous United States, continental United States, continental US, CONUS
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounThe contiguous continental states area of the United States, comprising 48 states in number, and the District of Columbia, excluding Alaska and Hawaii.
Origin
Cite this entry
lower 48. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lower%2048
“lower 48.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lower%2048. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lower 48,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lower%2048.
Source: lower 48 on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.