nation

noun

na·​tion ˈnā-shən 

plural nations

1

a(1)

: nationality sense 2b

… [three Slav peoples] … forged into a Yugoslavia without really fusing into a Yugoslav nation.

—Hans Kohn

(2)

: a politically organized nationality

(3)

in the Bible : a non-Jewish nationality

Why do the nations conspire … ?

—Psalms 2:1 (Revised Standard Version)

b

: a community of people composed of one or more nationalities and possessing a more or less defined territory and government

Canada is a nation with a written constitution …

—B. K. Sandwell

c

: a territorial division containing a body of people of one or more nationalities and usually characterized by relatively large size and independent status

… a nation of vast size with a small population …

—Mary K. Hammond

2

archaic : group, aggregation

3

: a tribe or federation of tribes (as of Indigenous peoples)

a member of the Cherokee Nation

the Seminole Nation in Oklahoma

Synonyms of nation

• state
• country
• commonwealth

Examples of nation in a Sentence

It's one of the richest nations in the world.

the largest state in the nation

The President will speak to the nation tonight.

The entire nation is celebrating the victory.

Recent Examples on the Web

Those of us who are worried about the morality of our fellow citizens won't restore this nation's better angels by holding on to our cynicism. —Arkansas Online, 16 Mar. 2026

Successful leaders are indeed rare, in all walks of life, but finding them, elevating them and supporting them is essential to our nation’s future. —Editorial, Boston Herald, 16 Mar. 2026

In 2024, legislators adopted first-in-the-nation rules that sought to ensure that AI couldn’t be used in banking, hiring or housing decisions to discriminate against people. —Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026

War reshapes nations, costs lives, drains the national treasury, and often expands executive authority. —Letters To The Editor, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English nacioun, from Anglo-French naciun, from Latin nation-, natio birth, race, nation, from nasci to be born; akin to Latin gignere to beget — more at kin

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Phrases Containing nation

• nation-state
• the nation

Rhymes for nation

• cation
• dation
• haitian
• lation
• station
• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation

Kids Definition

nation

noun

na·​tion ˈnā-shən 

1

: nationality sense 3

2

: a community of people composed of one or more nationalities usually with its own territory and government

3

: the territory of a nation

Biographical Definition

Nation

biographical name

Na·​tion ˈnā-shən 

Car*ry ˈker-ē 

ˈka-rē

Amelia 1846–1911 née Moore American temperance agitator