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Definition of bellevue

bellevue

/ˈbɛl.vjuː/
bel · vue
Plural:Bellevues
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bellevue Lexical Profile

• noun

1

American A major city in King County, Washington, United States, located across Lake Washington from Seattle and recognized as a prominent technology and business hub.

2

American The oldest public hospital in the United States, located in New York City, historically famous for its psychiatric facilities.

Example

"The medical student was thrilled to secure her psychiatric residency at Bellevue."

Word Nuance & Usage

In older American colloquial usage, 'Bellevue' is sometimes used as a metonym for a psychiatric hospital, referencing the historic psychiatric wards of Bellevue Hospital in New York City.

• Nearby Words

bellbottoms
bellboy
belle
bellevue
bellflower
bellhop
belligerence

Word Origin & Etymology

Derived from the French 'bellevue', literally meaning 'beautiful view' (from 'belle' beautiful + 'vue' view). It was widely adopted as an elegant place name in English-speaking regions.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Bellevue. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/bellevue
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