stateless

adjective

state·​less ˈstāt-ləs How to pronounce stateless (audio)
1
: having no state
2
: lacking the status of a national
a stateless refugee
statelessness noun

Examples of stateless in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In 2019, a stateless Chaldean metro Detroiter deported to Iraq died in Baghdad after becoming homeless and struggling to obtain insulin for his diabetes. Violet Ikonomova, Freep.com, 7 May 2026 Palestinian Arabs born in territory that became Israel in 1948 and their descendants, including those who are stateless refugees, do not have a legal path to immigrate, which is one of the central unresolved issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026 Most existing platforms treat them as stateless functions that respond to a prompt and vanish. Janakiram Msv, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2026 And some babies would be stateless, meaning no country would claim them. Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 1 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stateless

Word History

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stateless was in 1858

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Cite this Entry

“Stateless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stateless. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.

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