Washington state

Etymology
Distinguishing the state of Washington from other senses of, particularly

Proper noun

 * , the US state.

Usage notes
The lower-case form Washington state is advocated by the AP Style Guide except in reference to specific departments, services, etc. of its government, where both words are capitalized as part of the complete name. The Chicago Manual of Style advocates general use of, but based upon a misunderstanding of it as a formal name.