washington, d.c.
/ˈwɑʃɪŋtən ˈdiː ˌsiː/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.26 in modern English
22
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
3
Syllables
11
Unique Chars
Meaning
name
The capital city of the United States, formally known as the District of Columbia. Abbreviated as D.C. or DC.
name
Example Sentences
- "Washington, D.C., with its wide streets, confounding roundabouts, marble statues, Doric columns, and domes, is supposed to feel like ancient Rome (that is, if the streets of ancient Rome were lined with homeless black people, bomb-sniffing dogs, tour buses, and cherry blossoms)."
Etymology
Named for George Washington. The name "Washington, D.C." (analogous in form to "Richmond, VA") reflects the fact that at the time of its founding, it was only one of three cities in D.C., alongside Georgetown and Alexandria. (In 1871, Congress repealed the charters of Georgetown and Washington and created a unitary territorial government for the whole District of Columbia.)
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈwɑʃɪŋtən ˈdiː ˌsiː/
Inflected Forms
Washington (alternative)
Washington DC (alternative)
Washington D.C. (alternative)
Washington D. C. (alternative)
Washington, DC (alternative)
Washington, D. C. (alternative)