plural nations
1
a(1)
: nationality sense 2b
… [three Slav peoples] … forged into a Yugoslavia without really fusing into a Yugoslav nation.—
Hans Kohn
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)
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
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
Mary K. Hammond2
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
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
Five were killed in the relatively small Central American nation, and 18 the year before, according to the data in the most recent report.
—Marlon González, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
After China swept the Olympic golds, silvers and bronzes in the men’s and women’s singles at the 2008 Games on home soil in Beijing, nations were only allowed to enter two players per competition.
—Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 12 May 2026
That cost was evident in financial markets on Tuesday, with the interest rate charged on British government bonds up by more than those of comparable nations — that shows that investors are putting a higher price on taking on government debt.
—ABC News, 12 May 2026
In early May, the Hondius would dock in the African archipelagic nation of Cape Verde.
—Akash Kapur, New Yorker, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for nation
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.
Marlon González, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
After China swept the Olympic golds, silvers and bronzes in the men’s and women’s singles at the 2008 Games on home soil in Beijing, nations were only allowed to enter two players per competition.
—Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 12 May 2026
That cost was evident in financial markets on Tuesday, with the interest rate charged on British government bonds up by more than those of comparable nations — that shows that investors are putting a higher price on taking on government debt.
—ABC News, 12 May 2026
In early May, the Hondius would dock in the African archipelagic nation of Cape Verde.
—Akash Kapur, New Yorker, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for nation
Cite this Entry
“Nation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nation. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nation
noun
na·tion
ˈnā-shən 
2
: a community of people composed of one or more nationalities usually with its own territory and government
3
: the territory of a nation
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
