Illinois

noun

Il·​li·​nois ˌi-lə-ˈnȯi How to pronounce Illinois (audio)
also
-ˈnȯiz How to pronounce Illinois (audio)
plural Illinois
1
: a confederation of Algonquian-speaking Indigenous peoples of Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin
2
: a member of any of the Illinois peoples
3
: the Algonquian language of the Illinois

Word History

Etymology

French, earlier Eriniouai, singular, probably from a word in an Algonquian language derived from Proto-Algonquian *elen- ordinary + *-we· make a sound

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Illinois was in 1648

Dictionary Entries Near Illinois

Cite this Entry

“Illinois.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Illinois. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Geographical Definition

Illinois

geographical name

Il·​li·​nois
ˌi-lə-ˈnȯi,
also
-ˈnȯiz How to pronounce Illinois (audio)
1
river 273 miles (439 kilometers) long in Illinois flowing southwest into the Mississippi River
2
state in the central part of the U.S. having the Mississippi River as its western boundary and bordering on Lake Michigan in the northeast; capital Springfield area 56,400 square miles (146,640 square kilometers), population 12,830,632
Illinoisan
ˌi-lə-ˈnȯi-ən
also
-ˈnȯi-zᵊn How to pronounce Illinois (audio)
adjective or noun

More from Merriam-Webster on Illinois

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