nation-state
noun
na·tion-state
ˈnā-shən-ˈstāt 
-ˌstāt
: a form of political organization under which a relatively homogeneous people inhabits a sovereign state
especially
: a state containing one as opposed to several nationalities
Examples of nation-state in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Particularly in authoritarian or nondemocratic nation-states, journalists can be jailed or harassed for doing their job of reporting on abuses of power.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 May 2026
That act, of amending Jefferson’s original draft, edit upon edit, has been the story not only of new nation-states declaring their independence but also of people within nation-states.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Iran is to Trump what Ukraine is to Vladimir Putin, what Hamas and Hezbollah have been to Benjamin Netanyahu and — wait for it — what the next generation of cyberhackers will be to China and America and every other nation-state.
—Thomas L. Friedman, Mercury News, 4 May 2026
Immigrants have launched an invasion against the United States, despite the word invasion typically being used to refer to a nation-state.
—Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nation-state
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Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 May 2026
That act, of amending Jefferson’s original draft, edit upon edit, has been the story not only of new nation-states declaring their independence but also of people within nation-states.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Iran is to Trump what Ukraine is to Vladimir Putin, what Hamas and Hezbollah have been to Benjamin Netanyahu and — wait for it — what the next generation of cyberhackers will be to China and America and every other nation-state.
—Thomas L. Friedman, Mercury News, 4 May 2026
Immigrants have launched an invasion against the United States, despite the word invasion typically being used to refer to a nation-state.
—Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nation-state
Cite this Entry
“Nation-state.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nation-state. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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