Definition

Proper noun: * Jefferson City: The capital city of the state of Missouri, United States of America. It is situated in the central part of the state along the Missouri River.

Usage

• Jefferson City is used as the official name of a specific geographic location, the seat of government for the state of Missouri.
  • The state legislature meets in Jefferson City.
  • We took a tour of the Capitol building in Jefferson City.

Advanced Usage

• The name can be used metonymically to refer to the state government or administrative apparatus of Missouri.
  • The new education policy was announced from Jefferson City today. (Meaning: announced by the Missouri state government).

Variants and Related Words

• Jeffersonian (adj): Pertaining to the political principles of Thomas Jefferson, the city's namesake. This is a related concept but not a variant of the city's name.
• Capital city: The city that is the official seat of government for a state or country. Jefferson City is an example of a capital city.

Synonyms

• State capital (of Missouri).
• The capital (when the context clearly refers to Missouri).

Notes on Different Meanings

• Jefferson City refers exclusively to the capital of Missouri. It should not be confused with other places named for Thomas Jefferson (e.g., Jefferson County, Mount Jefferson).
• The term is a compound proper noun. It is not typically broken down for separate definitions of "Jefferson" and "City" in this context.

Noun

1. capital of the state of Missouri; located in central Missouri on the Missouri river