Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • A state in the northwestern United States on the Pacific coast: One of the 50 states of the USA, known for its major city Seattle, technology industry, and natural features like the Cascade Mountains.
   • The capital city of the United States: The city serving as the national capital, located in the District of Columbia, distinct from any state.
   • The federal government of the United States: A metonymic reference to the U.S. government and its administrative branches, often used in political contexts.
   • George Washington (1732-1799): The first President of the United States and the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution.
   • Booker T. Washington (1856-1915): A prominent United States educator, author, and advisor, born into slavery, who founded the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun (State):
  • She moved to Washington for a job in the tech industry.
  • Mount Rainier is the highest peak in Washington.
• Proper noun (Capital City):
  • The treaty was signed in Washington, D.C.
  • They visited the museums on the National Mall in Washington.
• Proper noun (Federal Government):
  • The new policy was announced by Washington today.
  • Washington is expected to vote on the bill next week.
• Proper noun (Person: George Washington):
  • Washington led the colonial forces to victory in the Revolutionary War.
  • The portrait of George Washington is displayed in many government buildings.
• Proper noun (Person: Booker T. Washington):
  • Washington emphasized vocational education and economic self-reliance.
  • The writings of Booker T. Washington remain influential.

Advanced Usage

• "Inside the Beltway": A phrase referring to the world of U.S. federal politics and government in Washington, D.C., derived from the Capital Beltway highway encircling the city.
  • That's a topic of much debate inside the Beltway.
• "Washington consensus": A term for a set of broadly free-market economic policy prescriptions often associated with institutions based in Washington, D.C., like the IMF and World Bank.
  • The economic reforms followed the principles of the Washington consensus.

Variants and Related Words

• Washingtonian (noun): A native or resident of the state of Washington or of Washington, D.C.
  • As a Washingtonian, she was accustomed to the political climate.
• Washington, D.C.: The official designation for the capital district, distinguishing it from the state.
  • He lives and works in Washington, D.C.

Synonyms

• For the capital city: D.C., the District, the Nation's Capital.
• For the federal government: the administration, the federal government, the U.S. government.
• For George Washington: the Father of His Country (a historical epithet).

Related Phrases

• "Washington Monument": An iconic obelisk in Washington, D.C., built to honor George Washington.
  • We could see the Washington Monument from our hotel window.
• "Washington state": Used to specify the U.S. state, avoiding confusion with the capital city.
  • The apples are from Washington state.

Related Idioms

• "To be another Washington": To be a great leader or founding figure (less common, derived from the stature of George Washington).
  • The journalist described the general as another Washington for the new republic.

Noun

1. United States educator who was born a slave but became educated and founded a college at Tuskegee in Alabama (1856-1915)
2. 1st President of the United States; commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution (1732-1799)
3. the federal government of the United States
4. a state in northwestern United States on the Pacific
5. the capital of the United States in the District of Columbia and a tourist mecca; George Washington commissioned Charles L'Enfant to lay out the city in 1791