What does "madison" mean?
A particular line dance commonly danced to the Ike & Tina Turner song Nutbush City Limits.
Madison
/ˈmædɪsən/ name, noun
name, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A particular line dance commonly danced to the Ike & Tina Turner song Nutbush City Limits.
- Grammar: madison is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: city, family name, first name, forename.
- Useful contrasts: countryside, family name, first name.
- Usage evidence: The street is named for President Madison.
How to use "madison"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "madison" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "madison" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "madison" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "madison" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "madison" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "city" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "madison", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A particular line dance commonly danced to the Ike & Tina Turner song Nutbush City Limits.
- 2 A track cycling relay race in which team members take turns while racing round the track for the largest number of laps, and exchange places with a team mate by means of a touch, which may be a push or a hand-sling.
- 3 Alternative spelling of madison. alt-of, alternative
- 4 A form of line dance.
Proper Noun
- 1 An English surname originating as a matronymic; (US politics) used specifically of James Madison (1751–1836), a Founding Father and fourth president of the United States. countable, uncountable
"Clearly quite a number of past chief executives would have been TV washouts. Jefferson, for example, is acknowledged to have been a terrible public speaker, Madison an unimpressive little man in voice and appearance."
- 2 A locale in the United States; all named for James Madison unless otherwise indicated.; The capital city of Wisconsin, United States, and the county seat of Dane County. countable, uncountable
- 3 A locale in the United States; all named for James Madison unless otherwise indicated.; A city in Alabama. countable, uncountable
- 4 A locale in the United States; all named for James Madison unless otherwise indicated.; A city in Arkansas. countable, uncountable
- 5 A locale in the United States; all named for James Madison unless otherwise indicated.; A census-designated place in Yolo County, California; named for Madison, Wisconsin. countable, uncountable
Show 25 more definitions
- 6 A locale in the United States; all named for James Madison unless otherwise indicated.; A town in Connecticut. countable, uncountable
- 7 A locale in the United States; all named for James Madison unless otherwise indicated.; A city, the county seat of Madison County, Florida. countable, uncountable
- 8 A locale in the United States; all named for James Madison unless otherwise indicated.; A city, the county seat of Morgan County, Georgia. countable, uncountable
- 9 A locale in the United States; all named for James Madison unless otherwise indicated.; A city in Madison County and St. Clair County, Illinois. countable, uncountable
- 10 A locale in the United States; all named for James Madison unless otherwise indicated.; A city, the county seat of Jefferson County, Indiana. countable, uncountable
- 11 A locale in the United States; all named for James Madison unless otherwise indicated.; A minor city in Greenwood County, Kansas. countable, uncountable
- 12 A locale in the United States; all named for James Madison unless otherwise indicated.; A town in Maine. countable, uncountable
- 13 A locale in the United States; all named for James Madison unless otherwise indicated.; A city, the county seat of Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota; named for Madison, Wisconsin. countable, uncountable
- 14 A locale in the United States; all named for James Madison unless otherwise indicated.; A city in Mississippi. countable, uncountable
- 15 A locale in the United States; all named for James Madison unless otherwise indicated.; A city in Missouri. countable, uncountable
- 16 A locale in the United States; all named for James Madison unless otherwise indicated.; A city, the county seat of Madison County, Nebraska; named for its county, itself for James Madison. countable, uncountable
- 17 A locale in the United States; all named for James Madison unless otherwise indicated.; A town in New Hampshire. countable, uncountable
- 18 A locale in the United States; all named for James Madison unless otherwise indicated.; A borough in Morris County, New Jersey. countable, uncountable
- 19 A locale in the United States; all named for James Madison unless otherwise indicated.; A town in New York and a village within that town. countable, uncountable
- 20 A locale in the United States; all named for James Madison unless otherwise indicated.; A town in North Carolina. countable, uncountable
- 21 A locale in the United States; all named for James Madison unless otherwise indicated.; A village in Ohio; named for either James Madison or Madison, Connecticut. countable, uncountable
- 22 A locale in the United States; all named for James Madison unless otherwise indicated.; A borough in Pennsylvania. countable, uncountable
- 23 A locale in the United States; all named for James Madison unless otherwise indicated.; A city, the county seat of Lake County, South Dakota; named for Madison, Wisconsin. countable, uncountable
- 24 A locale in the United States; all named for James Madison unless otherwise indicated.; A town, the county seat of Madison County, Virginia; named for the landowning Madison family, of which James Madison is a descendant. countable, uncountable
- 25 A locale in the United States; all named for James Madison unless otherwise indicated.; A city, the county seat of Boone County, West Virginia. countable, uncountable
- 26 A locale in the United States; all named for James Madison unless otherwise indicated.; A town in Wisconsin, adjacent to the city of Madison (listed above). countable, uncountable
- 27 A locale in the United States; all named for James Madison unless otherwise indicated.; A number of townships in the United States, listed under Madison Township. countable, uncountable
- 28 A river in Wyoming and Montana, United States; named for James Madison. countable, uncountable
- 29 A male given name transferred from the surname. countable, uncountable
- 30 A female given name transferred from the surname, popular since 1984 when it appeared as the name of a mermaid in the film Splash. countable, uncountable
"Vanessa likes the ultrapopular Madison as a girl's name, which tells you everything you need to know about her personality."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The street is named for President Madison."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "madison"?
Common synonyms include: city, family name, first name, forename, given name, last name.
How do you use "madison" in a sentence?
The street is named for President Madison.
How do you pronounce "madison"?
Pronounced /ˈmædɪsən/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Usually derived from Mathieson (Matthew + -son), occasionally from Middle English Maddy (“Maud”) + -son. In the movie Splash, its use as a given name derives from Manhattan’s Madison Avenue.
Etymology 2
The cycling race is named after the original Madison Square Garden in New York, where the first such events were held. The dance is reportedly named after Madison Avenue, also in New York.