deep state

noun

plural deep states
: an alleged secret network of especially nonelected government officials and sometimes private entities (as in the financial services and defense industries) operating extralegally to influence and enact government policy
The power of the deep state comes from experience, knowledge, relationships, insight, craft, special skills, traditions, and shared values. Together, these purported attributes make nameless bureaucrats into a supergovernment that is accountable to no one. That is a scary prospect.David Rothkopf
What the archbishop suspected was a crime stage-managed by Turkey's "deep state"—an opaque underworld where powerful elements within the state, especially the military and security services, act in conjunction with violent extremist groups … as well as the apolitical criminal underworld, to undertake special, illegal operations in the political interest of the country's ruling elite.John Eibner

Word History

Etymology

translation of Turkish derin devlet

First Known Use

1997, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of deep state was in 1997

Dictionary Entries Near deep state

Cite this Entry

“Deep state.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deep%20state. Accessed 30 Mar. 2023.

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