client state

noun

Synonyms of client statenext
: a country that is economically, politically, or militarily dependent on another country

Examples of client state 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.
Trump already has ample ways to profit from office, including from stock trading with the benefit of inside knowledge and by accepting gifts from client states. Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026 For more than 60 years, pre-revolutionary Cuba endured independence without sovereignty as an American client state. Joseph J. Gonzalez, The Conversation, 23 Mar. 2026 Their client state of Syria is no more. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 12 Jan. 2026 Hamas and Hezbollah, which have enjoyed Iran’s support, have also been seriously debilitated and there is a new government in Syria that is no longer a client state of Iran. Natasha Lindstaedt, Forbes.com, 12 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for client state

Word History

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of client state was in 1803

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Client state.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/client%20state. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on client state

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster