# Washington, D.C.

> English word · Proper noun · IPA /ˈwɑʃɪŋtən ˈdiː ˌsiː/

## Definitions
1. The capital city of the United States, formally known as the District of Columbia. Abbreviated as D.C. or DC.

## 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 (In 1871, Congress repealed the charters of Georgetown and Washington and created a unitary territorial government for the whole District of Columbia.)

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/washington-d-c