city-state

noun

ˈsi-tē-ˌstāt How to pronounce city-state (audio)
 also  -ˈstāt
: an autonomous state consisting of a city and surrounding territory

Examples of city-state in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Phoenicians gave the world its first alphabet and were formidable sea merchants and colonizers, establishing city-states throughout the central and western Mediterranean. Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 May 2025 Inside, a crowd of Christians, Jews and Native Americans were already packed together to witness the founding of Ararat, a tract of land on nearby Grand Island that was intended to be the first autonomous Jewish city-state in almost 1,800 years. Adam L. Rovner, The Conversation, 29 Apr. 2025 For months, tensions had been building between the two city-states as the Athenians clashed with Sparta’s friends and the Spartans sat idly by. A. Wess Mitchell, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025 Derek Loh, Singapore’s high commissioner to Bangladesh, told delegates at the meeting that the southeast Asian city-state is keen to invest further in Bangladesh’s infrastructure sector. Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 21 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for city-state

Word History

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of city-state was in 1840

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Cite this Entry

“City-state.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/city-state. Accessed 13 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

city-state

noun
ˈsit-ē-ˈstāt,
-ˌstāt
: a self-governing state consisting of a city and surrounding territory

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