adj · adv · noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
General-American:/ˈɪntɚˌsteɪt/
General-American:/ˈɪnɚˌsteɪt/
General-American:[ˈɪɾ̃ɚˌsteɪ̯t]
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:IH2 N T ER0 S T EY1 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Of, or relating to two or more states.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Australia, US, not-comparable
Examples
interstate commerce
interstate reciprocity
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adv
Meaning 2
Crossing states (usually provincial state, but also e.g. multinational sense).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Australia, US, not-comparable
Examples
The truck driver drove interstate to unload.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A freeway that is part of the Interstate Highway System.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective
Meaning 4
involving and relating to the mutual relations of states especially of the United States
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
Interstate Highway Commission
interstate highways
Interstate Commerce Commission
interstate commerce
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: intrastate
5
noun
Meaning 5
one of the system of highways linking major cities in the 48 contiguous states of the United States
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: interstate highway
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: highway, main road
History
Etymology
From inter- + state, originally as an adjective only; the noun is by (ellipsis) from interstate highway. The noun also serves adjectivally as a (noun adjunct) in such collocations as interstate construction and interstate rest stops.
Across languages
Translations
28 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bengali:
আন্তঃরাজ্যিক
(antoḥrajjik)
— of, or relating to two or more states
Bulgarian:
междуща́тски
(mežduštátski)
— of, or relating to two or more states
Chinese Mandarin:
州際的 /州际的
(zhōujì de)
— of, or relating to two or more states
Esperanto:
interŝtata
— of, or relating to two or more states
Estonian:
riikidevaheline
— of, or relating to two or more states
French:
interétatique
— of, or relating to two or more states
Georgian:
შტატთაშორისი
(šṭaṭtašorisi)
— of, or relating to two or more states
German:
zwischenstaatlich
— of, or relating to two or more states
Hungarian:
államközi
— of, or relating to two or more states
Kazakh:
штатаралық
(ştataralyq)
— of, or relating to two or more states
Latvian:
starpvalstu
— of, or relating to two or more states
Macedonian:
меѓудр́жавен
(meǵudŕžaven)
— of, or relating to two or more states
Polish:
międzystanowy
— of, or relating to two or more states
Portuguese:
interestadual
— of, or relating to two or more states
Russian:
междушта́тный
(mežduštátnyj)
— of, or relating to two or more states
Russian:
межшта́тный
(mežštátnyj)
— of, or relating to two or more states
Russian:
межгосударственный
(mezhgosudarstvennyi)
— of, or relating to two or more states
Spanish:
interestatal
— of, or relating to two or more states
Chinese:
州际公路
(zhōu jì gōnglù)
— U.S. freeway
French:
inter-états
— U.S. freeway
German:
Autobahn
— U.S. freeway
Macedonian:
а́втопат
(ávtopat)
— U.S. freeway
Macedonian:
автостра́да
(avtostráda)
— U.S. freeway
Polish:
autostrada międzystanowa
— U.S. freeway
Portuguese:
interestadual
— U.S. freeway
Russian:
автомагистра́ль
(avtomagistrálʹ)
— U.S. freeway
