nation

noun

na·tion | \ ˈnā-shən

Definition of nation

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a(1) : nationality sense 5a three Slav peoples … forged into a Yugoslavia without really fusing into a Yugoslav nation— Hans Kohn

(2) : a politically organized nationality

(3) : a non-Jewish nationality why do the nations conspire — Psalms 2:1 (Revised Standard Version)

b : a community of people composed of one or more nationalities and possessing a more or less defined territory and government Canada is a nation with a written constitution— B. K. Sandwell

c : a territorial division containing a body of people of one or more nationalities and usually characterized by relatively large size and independent status a nation of vast size with a small population— Mary K. Hammond

2 archaic : group, aggregation

3 : a tribe or federation of tribes (as of American Indians) the Seminole Nation in Oklahoma

Nation

biographical name

Na·tion | \ ˈnā-shən

Definition of Nation (Entry 2 of 2)

Car*ry \ ˈker-ē

, ˈka-rē\ Amelia 1846–1911 née Moore American temperance agitator

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about nation

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Examples of nation in a Sentence

Noun

It's one of the richest nations in the world. the largest state in the nation The President will speak to the nation tonight. The entire nation is celebrating the victory.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The Marshalls, and the handful of other island nations in the same boat, aren’t exactly sure how this is supposed to happen. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "To Save Themselves from Sea Level Rise, the Marshall Islands Want to Raise the Land," 26 Feb. 2019 Our nation’s lawmakers number more women and are more diverse than at any point in our history. — Shannon Watts, Vogue, "Toxic Masculinity Is Killing Us," 31 Jan. 2019 Check out the coral Huge swaths of Curaçao's coast is undeveloped or untouched entirely by hotels, which means the fringing reef around the island is remarkably healthy compared to other Caribbean nations. — Kaitlin Menza, Town & Country, "The Best Things to Do, Eat, and See in Curaçao," 8 Jan. 2019 But other nations are not necessarily absolved from blame. — Tabor Wordelman, Teen Vogue, "You Can't Just "Clean Up" the Plastic in the Ocean. Here's Why.," 18 Dec. 2018 No other nation has ever attempted such a feat — which means the mission could catapult China into spaceflight history. — Loren Grush, The Verge, "This weekend, China embarks on a historic mission to land on the far side of the Moon," 6 Dec. 2018 The gun homicide rate in the U.S. is 25 times higher than in every other high income nation. — Jennifer Wright, Harper's BAZAAR, "How We Can Stop Mass Shootings in America," 20 Nov. 2018 Recent strikes across the nation have built on a wave of teacher activism that began last spring. — Jocelyn Gecker, The Seattle Times, "Oakland teachers to walk off the job Thursday," 20 Feb. 2019 For over 10 years, Product of the Year has counted the votes of 40,000 shoppers in a nation-wide shopping survey, powered by research firm Kantar. — Rachel Jacoby, Woman's Day, "40,000 People Swear By These 36 Home Products," 8 Feb. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Statistics for nation

Last Updated

12 Mar 2019

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Time Traveler for nation

The first known use of nation was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for nation

nation

noun

English Language Learners Definition of nation

: a large area of land that is controlled by its own government

: the people who live in a nation

: a tribe of Native Americans or a group of Native American tribes that share the same history, traditions, or language

See the full definition for nation in the English Language Learners Dictionary

nation

noun

na·tion | \ ˈnā-shən

Kids Definition of nation

1 : country sense 1 China is a nation I'd like to visit.

2 : a community of people made up of one or more nationalities usually with its own territory and government … here is a race that the whole nation is clamoring for …— Walter Farley, The Black Stallion

3 : nationality sense 3