United States

Unit·ed States
UK/juːˌnaɪtɨd ˈsteɪts/UK/jʊˌnaɪtɨd ˈsteɪts/US/juˌnaɪtɪ̈d ˈsteɪts/US[juˌnaɪ̯ɾɪ̈d ˈsteɪ̯ts]

proper noun

A country in North America, also including Hawaii in Oceania; in full, United States of America.

“life in these United States”

Similar
United States governmentU.S. governmentUS GovernmentU.S.

Meanings

proper nounthe United States
  1. singularformerly also pluralA country in North America, also including Hawaii in Oceania; in full, United States of America.

    As we have seen, people migrated to the United States for a variety of reasons. But nearly all shared two great hopes: the hope for personal freedom and the hope for economic opportunity.

    1964, John F. Kennedy, “The Immigrant Contribution”, in A Nation of Immigrants, Revised and Enlarged edition, Harper & Row, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 64
    5 more examples

    As soon as the war in Europe had embraced those powers with whom the United States have the most extensive relations there was reason to apprehend that our intercourse with them might be interrupted and our disposition for peace drawn into question by the suspicions too often entertained by belligerent nations.

    1793 December 3, George Washington, Fifth State of the Union Address

    I used to have a sign on my desk that said, "The Buck Stops Here." The buck stops at the president's desk when he's president of the United States, and he either makes the decisions or he lets them go by default, and you can't afford to do that when you're president.

    1965, Harry S. Truman, 0:26 from the start, in MP2002-401 Former President Truman Discusses "The Buck Stops Here", Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives Identifier: 595162, archived from the original on 02 Feb 2021

    “King Homer” follows the story of King Kong closely, with Mr. Burns taking the freakishly over-sized King Homer from his native Africa, where he lives proud as a simian god, to the United States, where he is an initially impressive but ultimately rather limited Broadway attraction.

    2012 April 29, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Treehouse of Horror III” (season 4, episode 5; originally aired 10/29/1992)”, in AV Club, archived from the original on 01 Jul 2012

    His bid to popularize Mr. Liu’s novels was a rare attempt to export Chinese popular culture — something that has eluded China as its government yearns to wield the same soft power the United States commands with its movies, music and sports stars.

    2024 April 1, David Pierson, “The Bizarre Chinese Murder Plot Behind Netflix’s ‘3 Body Problem’”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 06 Apr 2024

    Cybersecurity firm Semperis found that 86% of surveyed organizations in the United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany that faced ransomware attacks were targeted on a holiday or weekend.

    2024 November 25, Sean Lyngaas, “Starbucks forced to pay its baristas manually because of a ransomware attack on third-party software”, in CNN Business
    1. broadlysingularformerly also pluralThe American federal government.

      The United States is causing problems for herself with this policy.

      1 more example

      The United States effectively nationalized Fannie and Freddie during the 2008 financial crisis to prevent their collapse.

  2. in pluralThe collection of individual states of the United States of America.

    life in these United States

    3 more examples

    The Judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign State. (Eleventh Amendment to the United States Constitution, 1794)

    Congress have no expectations from the influence which the people of England may have on the British counsels, whatever may be the disposition of that nation or their magistrates towards these United States.

    1781, January 10, Samuel Huntington, letter to John Adams

    A tour of military duty has become an accepted part of life in these United States for physically and mentally fit young men. Existing regulations clearly outline the minimum physical standards, and mental standards are based on the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) which is a good objective measurement of ability to learn. There remains a significant group of men who meet these minimum physical and mental standards, and who enlist or are inducted into the armed services, but who are found to be unsuitable for service and shortly after entry are discharged.

    1955 February 28, William K. Goodspeed, William B. Buckingham, Oliver N. Evans, “The unsuitable enlisted seaman”, in United States Armed Forces Medical Journal, volume 6, number 2, page 244
  3. nameA federal nation consisting of several states, whether actual, historical or hypothetical.

    the United States of Europe

    3 more examples

    the Republic of the United States of Brazil (the First Brazilian Republic)

    the United States of Mexico (the United Mexican States)

    the United States of the Ionian Islands

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe executive and legislative and judicial branches of the federal government of the United States

Similar
United States governmentU.S. governmentUS GovernmentU.S.

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Afrikaans Verenigde State
  • Verenigde Statecountry in North America — see also United States of America
Ancient Greek Ἡνωμέναι Πολιτεῖαι
  • Ἡνωμέναι Πολιτεῖαι (Hēnōménai Politeîai)country in North America — see also United States of America
Arabic الْوِلَايَاتُ الْمُتَّحِدَة
  • الْوِلَايَاتُ الْمُتَّحِدَة (al-wilāyātu l-muttaḥida)country in North America — see also United States of America
Basque Estatu Batuak
  • Estatu Batuakcountry in North America — see also United States of America
Bengali যুক্তরাষ্ট্র, আমেরিকা
  • যুক্তরাষ্ট্র (juktoraśṭro)country in North America — see also United States of America
  • আমেরিকা (amerika)country in North America — see also United States of America
Bulgarian Съедине́ни ща́ти, Съедине́ните ща́ти
  • Съедине́ни ща́ти (Săedinéni štáti)country in North America — see also United States of America
  • Съедине́ните ща́ти (Săedinénite štáti)country in North America — see also United States of America
  • Аме́рика (Amérika)country in North America — see also United States of America
Catalan Estats Units
  • Estats Unitscountry in North America — see also United States of America
Chinese Cantonese 美利堅合眾國 /美利坚合众国, 美國 /美国
  • 美利堅合眾國 /美利坚合众国 (mei⁵ lei⁶ gin¹ hap⁶ zung³ gwok³)country in North America — see also United States of America
  • 美國 /美国 (mei⁵ gwok³)country in North America — see also United States of America
Chinese Mandarin 美利堅合眾國 /美利坚合众国, 合眾國 /合众国
  • 美利堅合眾國 /美利坚合众国 (Měilìjiān hézhòngguó)country in North America — see also United States of America
  • 合眾國 /合众国 (Hézhòngguó)country in North America — see also United States of America
  • 美國 /美国 (Měiguó)country in North America — see also United States of America
Czech Spojené státy
  • Spojené státycountry in North America — see also United States of America
Danish Forenede Stater
  • Forenede Statercountry in North America — see also United States of America
Dutch Verenigde Staten
  • Verenigde Statencountry in North America — see also United States of America
Esperanto Unuiĝintaj Ŝtatoj, Unuiĝintaj Ŝtatoj de Ameriko
  • Unuiĝintaj Ŝtatojcountry in North America — see also United States of America
  • Unuiĝintaj Ŝtatoj de Amerikocountry in North America — see also United States of America
  • Usonocountry in North America — see also United States of America
Estonian Ühendriigid
  • Ühendriigidcountry in North America — see also United States of America
Finnish Yhdysvallat
  • Yhdysvallatcountry in North America — see also United States of America
French États-Unis
  • États-Uniscountry in North America — see also United States of America
German Vereinigte Staaten
  • Vereinigte Staatencountry in North America — see also United States of America
Greek Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες
  • Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες (Inoménes Politeíes)country in North America — see also United States of America
Hawaiian ʻAmelika Huipūʻia, Mokuʻāina Huipūʻia
  • ʻAmelika Huipūʻiacountry in North America — see also United States of America
  • Mokuʻāina Huipūʻiacountry in North America — see also United States of America
Hebrew אַרְצוֹת הַבְּרִית
  • אַרְצוֹת הַבְּרִית (artsot ha-brit)country in North America — see also United States of America
Hindi संयुक्त राज्य
  • संयुक्त राज्य (sãyukt rājya)country in North America — see also United States of America
Hungarian Egyesült Államok
  • Egyesült Államokcountry in North America — see also United States of America
Icelandic Bandaríkin
  • Bandaríkincountry in North America — see also United States of America
Indonesian Amerika Serikat
  • Amerika Serikatcountry in North America — see also United States of America
Irish Stáit Aontaithe
  • Stáit Aontaithecountry in North America — see also United States of America
Italian Stati Uniti
  • Stati Uniticountry in North America — see also United States of America
Japanese 合衆国, アメリカ合衆国
  • 合衆国 (Gasshūkoku)country in North America — see also United States of America
  • アメリカ合衆国 (Amerika Gasshūkoku)country in North America — see also United States of America
  • 米国 (Beikoku)country in North America — see also United States of America
  • アメリカ (Amerika)country in North America — see also United States of America
  • 米 (Bei)country in North America — see also United States of America
Korean 미국, 아메리카
  • 미국 (Miguk)country in North America — see also United States of America
  • 아메리카 (Amerika)country in North America — see also United States of America
  • 미합중국 (Mihapjungguk)country in North America — see also United States of America
  • 미 (Mi)country in North America — see also United States of America
Latin Civitates Foederatae, Civitates Unitae
  • Civitates Foederataecountry in North America — see also United States of America
  • Civitates Unitaecountry in North America — see also United States of America
Latvian Savienotās Valstis
  • Savienotās Valstiscountry in North America — see also United States of America
Lithuanian Jungtinės Valstijos
  • Jungtinės Valstijoscountry in North America — see also United States of America
Malay Amerika Syarikat, Amerika
  • Amerika Syarikatcountry in North America — see also United States of America
  • Amerikacountry in North America — see also United States of America
Māori Hononga-o-Amerika, Ngā Whenua Tōpū
  • Hononga-o-Amerikacountry in North America — see also United States of America
  • Ngā Whenua Tōpūcountry in North America — see also United States of America
Norwegian Bokmål De forente stater
  • De forente statercountry in North America — see also United States of America
Polish Stany Zjednoczone
  • Stany Zjednoczonecountry in North America — see also United States of America
Portuguese Estados Unidos
  • Estados Unidoscountry in North America — see also United States of America
Romanian Statele Unite
  • Statele Unitecountry in North America — see also United States of America
Russian Соединённые Шта́ты
  • Соединённые Шта́ты (Sojedinjónnyje Štáty)country in North America — see also United States of America
Slovak Spojené štáty
  • Spojené štátycountry in North America — see also United States of America
Spanish Estados Unidos
  • Estados Unidoscountry in North America — see also United States of America
Swedish Förenta staterna, Förenta stater
  • Förenta staternacountry in North America — see also United States of America
  • Förenta statercountry in North America — see also United States of America
Tagalog Estados Unidos, Amerika
  • Estados Unidoscountry in North America — see also United States of America
  • Amerikacountry in North America — see also United States of America
Tamil அமெரிக்கா, அமெரிக்க ஐக்கிய நாடு
  • அமெரிக்கா (amerikkā)country in North America — see also United States of America
  • அமெரிக்க ஐக்கிய நாடு (amerikka aikkiya nāṭu)country in North America — see also United States of America
Thai สหรัฐฯ
  • สหรัฐฯ (sà-hà-rát)country in North America — see also United States of America
Turkish Birleşik Devletler
  • Birleşik Devletlercountry in North America — see also United States of America
Ukrainian Сполу́чені Шта́ти
  • Сполу́чені Шта́ти (Spolúčeni Štáty)country in North America — see also United States of America
Urdu رِیاسَت ہائے مُتَّحِدَہ, اَمْرِیکَہ
  • رِیاسَت ہائے مُتَّحِدَہ (riyāsat hāe muttahida)country in North America — see also United States of America
  • اَمْرِیکَہ (amrīka)country in North America — see also United States of America
  • اَمْرِیکا (amrīkā)country in North America — see also United States of America
  • رِیاسَتْہائے مُتَّحِدَہ (riyāsathāe muttahida)country in North America — see also United States of America
Vietnamese Hoa Kỳ, nước Mỹ
  • Hoa Kỳcountry in North America — see also United States of America
  • nước Mỹcountry in North America — see also United States of America
  • Mỹ Quốccountry in North America — see also United States of America
Welsh Unol Daleithiau
  • Unol Daleithiaucountry in North America — see also United States of America
Yiddish פֿאַראייניקטע שטאַטן
  • פֿאַראייניקטע שטאַטן (fareynikte shtatn)country in North America — see also United States of America
Zulu Izifundazwe Ezihlangene
  • Izifundazwe Ezihlangenecountry in North America — see also United States of America

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with United States

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

United States. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/United%20States

MLA

“United States.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/United%20States. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “United States,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/United%20States.

Source: United States on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.