microstate
noun
mi·cro·state
ˈmī-krō-ˌstāt 
: a nation that is extremely small in area and population
Examples of microstate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In 2006, the World Bank brokered a deal between this impoverished microstate and nearby New Zealand.
—
Sebastian Mallaby, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2015
These include the Schengen area countries and EU member states, European microstates like Andorra and Monaco and other nations including Egypt, Georgia and Tunisia.
—Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2023
In Europe, Spain has a capital gain tax of 25 %, but the microstate of Andorra has a capital gain tax of 10 %.
—Guillem MacIa, Forbes, 6 Feb. 2023
Shooter Alessandra Perilli — one of just five Sammarinese athletes at the Olympics — is the new hero of the microstate, which has a population of 34,000, after winning a bronze medal in the women's trap.
—Helen Regan, Aditi Sangal and Adam Renton, CNN, 30 July 2021
Why is Flo Rida at Eurovision, representing a tiny, eight-mile long microstate in Italy's Apennine Mountains?
—Rob Picheta, CNN, 21 May 2021
Epic Andorra is giving outdoor enthusiasts a new way to appreciate the microstate.
—T+l Editors, Travel + Leisure, 8 June 2021
The competition featured an unlikely appearance from American rapper Flo Rida, who arrived for a guest verse on the song by tiny microstate San Marino.
—Rob Picheta, CNN, 23 May 2021
What started as a haven for Christians escaping persecution by the Roman Empire eventually became an assiduously neutral microstate.
—New York Times, 2 Apr. 2021
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Sebastian Mallaby, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2015
These include the Schengen area countries and EU member states, European microstates like Andorra and Monaco and other nations including Egypt, Georgia and Tunisia.
—Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2023
In Europe, Spain has a capital gain tax of 25 %, but the microstate of Andorra has a capital gain tax of 10 %.
—Guillem MacIa, Forbes, 6 Feb. 2023
Shooter Alessandra Perilli — one of just five Sammarinese athletes at the Olympics — is the new hero of the microstate, which has a population of 34,000, after winning a bronze medal in the women's trap.
—Helen Regan, Aditi Sangal and Adam Renton, CNN, 30 July 2021
Why is Flo Rida at Eurovision, representing a tiny, eight-mile long microstate in Italy's Apennine Mountains?
—Rob Picheta, CNN, 21 May 2021
Epic Andorra is giving outdoor enthusiasts a new way to appreciate the microstate.
—T+l Editors, Travel + Leisure, 8 June 2021
The competition featured an unlikely appearance from American rapper Flo Rida, who arrived for a guest verse on the song by tiny microstate San Marino.
—Rob Picheta, CNN, 23 May 2021
What started as a haven for Christians escaping persecution by the Roman Empire eventually became an assiduously neutral microstate.
—New York Times, 2 Apr. 2021
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'microstate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1962, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near microstate
Cite this Entry
“Microstate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microstate. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on microstate
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for microstate
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about microstate
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