pennsylvania

pennsylvania — noun

1. one of the states in the eastern United States, often talked about as a place to

1.noun
Definition

one of the states in the eastern United States, often talked about as a place to live, study, or travel in, with Harrisburg as its capital and Philadelphia as its biggest city.

Example

Emma moved to Pennsylvania after getting a hospital job in Pittsburgh.

pattern: move to Pennsylvania

Our train crossed Pennsylvania before sunrise on the way to New York.

pattern: cross Pennsylvania on a trip

Common collocations
  • live in Pennsylvania
  • move to Pennsylvania
  • travel across Pennsylvania
  • western Pennsylvania
Synonyms
  • PA

    the short postal form used in addresses, maps, and official abbreviations

  • Penn State

    an informal spoken shortening, but many people use it mainly for the university, so it can be unclear

Grammar Patterns

live in Pennsylvania

move to Pennsylvania

travel across Pennsylvania

Usage Note

Common with 'in', 'to', 'from', and 'across' when the state is treated simply as a place. Distinguish from geographical name/1, which is more likely in maps, history, and government writing.

Common Mistakes

I lived at Pennsylvania for two years.
I lived in Pennsylvania for two years.
use 'in' with states.
Philadelphia is the capital of Pennsylvania.
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania.
Philadelphia is the largest city, not the capital.

pennsylvania — geographical name

Word family

  • Pennsylvanian
    noun
  • Pennsylvanian
    adjective

Common collocations

Nouns

  • the capital of Pennsylvania
  • the governor of Pennsylvania
  • western Pennsylvania
  • the people of Pennsylvania

Phrases

  • the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
  • the state of Pennsylvania
  • the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania

Prepositions

  • in Pennsylvania
  • to Pennsylvania
  • from Pennsylvania
  • across Pennsylvania

Etymology

EnglishLatinEnglish

The name Pennsylvania was given in the 17th century when King Charles II granted land to William Penn. The first part comes from the family name Penn, and the second part is from a Latin word meaning 'woodland' or 'forest'. The state is also known by the nickname 'the Keystone State' because of its important place in early American history.