# Illinois

/ˌɪɫəˈnɔɪ/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/illinois
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. U.S. state

noun · CEFR B1 · American English

a state in the Midwestern United States, home to the city of Chicago.

For teachers: a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States, admitted to the Union in 1818.

- Many people travel to Illinois every year to visit the museums in Chicago.
- Illinois serves as a major transportation hub for the United States, with Chicago's O'Hare International Airport being one of the busiest in the world.

### 2. Native American people

noun · CEFR C1 · American English · Technical

a group of Native American tribes who lived in the Mississippi River Valley.

For teachers: a confederation of Algonquian-speaking Native American tribes originally inhabiting the upper Mississippi River Valley.

- The state was named after the Illinois people who lived on that land.
- Historical accounts of the Illinois confederacy describe a complex social structure that was significantly impacted by European expansion in the seventeenth century.

### 3. relating to the state or people

adjective · CEFR B2 · American English

related to the state of Illinois or the Illinois people.

For teachers: pertaining to the U.S. state of Illinois, its inhabitants, or the indigenous Illinois Confederacy.

- The Illinois governor signed a new law regarding public schools yesterday.
- The Illinois prairie landscape was once dominated by tallgrass ecosystems before the widespread adoption of industrial farming practices.

## Examples

- Chicago is the largest city in Illinois.
- Many people travel across Illinois to see the historic sites related to Abraham Lincoln.
- The economic landscape of Illinois is defined by a sharp contrast between the industrial and financial hub of Chicago and the vast agricultural expanses of the central and southern regions.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.