country

1 of 2

noun

coun·try ˈkən-trē

plural countries

Synonyms of country next

: an indefinite usually extended expanse of land : region

miles of open country

: the land of a person's birth, residence, or citizenship

left their country for America

: a political state or nation or its territory

the country of Italy

: the people of a state or district : populace

Most of the country voted to end the death penalty.

: jury

: electorate sense 2

The government will go to the country with this issue.

: rural as distinguished from urban areas

prefers the country to the city

: country music

geology : country rock sense 2

countryish

ˈkən-trē-ish

adjective

country

2 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or characteristic of the country

country living

: of or relating to a decorative style associated with life in the country

an English country look

also : possessing a style of rustic simplicity

country furniture

: prepared or processed with farm supplies and procedures

country ham

: of, relating to, suitable for, or featuring country music

country singers

Did you know?

The English word country is derived from Latin contra, which means “against” or “on the opposite side.” In Medieval Latin the noun contrata was formed from contra. Contrata was literally “that which is situated opposite the beholder.” But that which is opposite the beholder is just what he or she sees. So contrata meant “landscape.” It also came to mean “expanse of land, region.” This was the original meaning of English country, which over the years has itself developed a number of new meanings.

Examples of country in a Sentence

Noun The two countries have a lot in common. They drove across the country from California to New York. They are living in different parts of the country. The whole country was stunned by the news. The President has the support of most of the country. He moved to the north country to fish and hunt. We went camping in the hill country. They drove through miles of open country. She lives out in the country. They prefer the country to the city. Adjective plain country living among unpretentious people See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Last month Kim and Putin exchanged letters pledging to increase their cooperation, according to U.S. officials and state media in both countries. —

Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 12 Sep. 2023 Each country has its own strategic culture, procurement practices, specifications, approval processes, training, and priorities. —

Patricia Cohen, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Sep. 2023 But Maeve took the closure as a time to relocate to an entirely new country and continue her education in the U.S. —

Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 12 Sep. 2023 For most Americans, Missouri represents the epitome of flyover country. —

Tamarra Kemsley, The Salt Lake Tribune, 12 Sep. 2023 The majority of those deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, where progress in the fight against maternal mortality has stalled. —

Jennifer Fields, Fortune Well, 12 Sep. 2023 China will be this year’s country of honor with 300 delegates and nearly 40 companies from the Middle Kingdom expected to turn up. —

Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 12 Sep. 2023 The ultra-luxe medical tourism hair transplant and restoration scene in this country has exploded in recent years, and among scores of clinic options, casual online research may lead you to the doors of EsteNove – a premier, qualified hair transplant clinic. —

Tenille Clarke, Essence, 12 Sep. 2023 Individual wins aside, the organization’s greatest achievement was bringing glory to their country by representing it well on the global stage. —

Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2023

Adjective

Deaton says that viewers of this year’s special can expect more collaborations than ever, pairing country artists from different eras, along with some surprise, non-country guests. —

Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 5 June 2023 With all affected provinces sharing borders with Cameroon and Gabon, WHO has assessed the risk of a multi-country outbreak as high. —

Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 30 Mar. 2023 Both airports have benefited from American’s push to dominate mid-country airports. —

Ted Reed, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2023 The current West Africa clade would be divided into two designations, with the large multi-country outbreak that is currently underway belonging to what would be known as clade 3. —

Helen Branswell, STAT, 13 June 2022 In an effort to salvage their relationship, Rick decides to take the entire Mitchell family on a cross-country road trip to see Katie off. —

WIRED, 10 Feb. 2023 Take it with you on a cross-country road trip, while climbing Kilimanjaro, or while visiting bucket-list destinations such as Machu Picchu. —

Amanda Ogle, Travel + Leisure, 9 Feb. 2023 The race to beat Purja captivated the mountaineering world this summer, as Harila—a former elite cross-country skier—ascended multiple peaks in the early spring. —

Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 28 Oct. 2022 American Olympic cross-country skier Kevin Bolger grew up in Wisconsin. —

Nathaniel Herz, Anchorage Daily News, 28 Feb. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'country.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.