Ne·vad·a (nə-vād'ə, -vä'də) A state of the western United States. It was admitted as the 36th state in 1864. Part of the area ceded by Mexico to the United States in 1848, it became a separate territory in 1861 after an influx of settlers drawn by the discovery (1859) of the Comstock Lode. Carson City is the capital and Las Vegas the largest city. Population: 2,570,000. Ne·vad'an, Ne·vad'i·an adj. & n.