client state
noun
: a country that is economically, politically, or militarily dependent on another country
Examples of client state in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Above all, China fears that its unpredictable and often aggressive client state could spark a military conflict with South Korea and the United States, potentially dragging Beijing into a second Korean War.
—
Shuxian Luo, Foreign Affairs, 21 Aug. 2025
English focused on Poland because the country had a long history of underground revolutionary culture; when the USSR turned independent Poland into a client state known as the People’s Republic of Poland, the Poles already knew how to go underground to fight back.
—Valorie Castellanos Clark, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025
In the early stages of the Cold War, Hungary, a client state controlled by the USSR, rebelled, fueled by student demonstrations arguing for secession and freedom of speech.
—Daniel Seifert, JSTOR Daily, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for client state
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.
Shuxian Luo, Foreign Affairs, 21 Aug. 2025
English focused on Poland because the country had a long history of underground revolutionary culture; when the USSR turned independent Poland into a client state known as the People’s Republic of Poland, the Poles already knew how to go underground to fight back.
—Valorie Castellanos Clark, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025
In the early stages of the Cold War, Hungary, a client state controlled by the USSR, rebelled, fueled by student demonstrations arguing for secession and freedom of speech.
—Daniel Seifert, JSTOR Daily, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for client state
Cite this Entry
“Client state.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/client%20state. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share