Massachusetts is a state.
Massachusetts [ mæsəˈtʃuːsᵻts ] or [ ˌmæsəˈtʃuːzᵻts ] ; officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts , is the most populous state in the New England region of the northeastern United States . The state is named for the Massachusett tribe , which once inhabited the area . In 2004 , Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legally recognize same-sex marriage as a result of the decision in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court . Many prominent American political dynasties have hailed from the state , including the Adams and Kennedy families .