United States noun phr. pl. (treated as sing. or pl.). [ju:,nʌɪtɪd 'steɪts] E17.
[from UNITED + STATE noun + -S¹.]
1. = United Provinces (a) s.v. UNITED adjective. obsolete exc. Hist. E17.

2. A federal republic of 50 States (orig. 13, formed after the American War of Independence), mostly in N. America and including Alaska and Hawaii. Also more fully United States of America. L18.
b. American English. L19.

3. gen. Any (hypothetical or actual) union of the States of a specified geographical area into a political federation. M19.

Comb.:
United Statesman noun a male citizen or inhabitant of the United States of America.

■ United-Stateser noun a citizen or inhabitant of the United States of America E20.

[TahlilGaran] English Dictionary ▲