name Common

Nashville

NASH-vihl

Nashville (name) means the capital city of Tennessee, USA, and a major center of the American country-music industry. Example: “She moved to Nashville to try to break into the country music scene.”

name

The capital city of Tennessee, USA, and a major center of the American country-music industry.

"She moved to Nashville to try to break into the country music scene."

"Nashville's downtown is lined with honky-tonks and live-music bars."

noun

By extension, the country-music industry or scene itself.

"The album was clearly aimed at Nashville rather than the pop charts."

How to use Nashville

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTennessee's capital city, closely associated with country music.

Word forms

Nashvilles plural

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She moved to _____ to try to break into the country music scene.

Etymology

Named after Francis Nash, an American Revolutionary War general, with the place-forming suffix "-ville" added.

Synonyms

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music city

Rhymes for Nashville

ville Lille Seville Braille Camille Lucille Orville Deville DeMille Bastille Melville reveille

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Frequently asked questions

What does “Nashville” mean?

The word “Nashville” means the capital city of Tennessee, USA, and a major center of the American country-music industry. In plain terms, tennessee's capital city, closely associated with country music.

How do you pronounce “Nashville”?

“Nashville” is pronounced NASH-vihl (/ˈnæʃˌvɪl/ in IPA).

How do you use “Nashville” in a sentence?

Here is “Nashville” used in a sentence: “She moved to Nashville to try to break into the country music scene.”

What part of speech is “Nashville”?

Depending on how it is used, “Nashville” can be a name and a noun.

Is “Nashville” a common word?

“Nashville” is a fairly common word in modern English.

How many meanings does “Nashville” have?

“Nashville” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the capital city of Tennessee, USA, and a major center of the American country-music industry.

Is Nashville the capital of Tennessee?

Yes. Nashville is the capital city of Tennessee in the United States, and it is also known worldwide as a major center of the American country-music industry.

Why is Nashville called Music City?

Nashville earned the nickname "Music City" because it is a major center of the American country-music industry, with a dense concentration of labels, studios, and performers. The association is so strong that "Nashville" itself is used as shorthand for the industry.

Can "Nashville" refer to the country-music industry itself?

Yes. By extension, Nashville is used to mean the country-music industry or scene as a whole, much as "Hollywood" stands for the American film industry. A sentence like "Nashville has embraced the new sound" refers to the industry, not the city government.

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