Hawaii

geographical name

Ha·​waii hə-ˈwä-yē How to pronounce Hawaii (audio)
-ˈwī-ē,
-ˈwä-ˌē,
 also  -ˈvä-,
 or  -ˈwȯ-;
 sometimes  -yə
variants or Hawai'i
1
or Hawaiian Islands
hə-ˈwä-yən How to pronounce Hawaii (audio)
-ˈwī-ən,
-ˈwȯ-yən
or formerly Sandwich Islands group of islands in the central Pacific belonging to the U.S.
2
island in the southeastern part of the state of Hawaii; largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago; chief city Hilo area 4021 square miles (10,455 square kilometers), population 185,079
3
southernmost and newest state of the U.S. comprising the Hawaiian Islands except the Midway Islands; annexed 1898, a territory 1900–59; capital Honolulu area 6471 square miles (16,760 square kilometers), population 1,360,301

see also hawaiian

Dictionary Entries Near Hawaii

Cite this Entry

“Hawaii.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Hawaii. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on Hawaii

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!