nation-state

noun

na·​tion-state ˈnā-shən-ˈstāt How to pronounce nation-state (audio)
-ˌstāt
: a form of political organization under which a relatively homogeneous people inhabits a sovereign state
especially : a state containing one as opposed to several nationalities

Examples of nation-state in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
It’s command structure also transcends traditional nation-state borders by integrating Iranian, Lebanese and Iraqi commanders. Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2025 And for a program run by a nation-state or a billionaire that doesn't want to have a rocket blow up, this is prudent. Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 25 Sep. 2025 The Hindu majority behind much of this violence also invoke the idea that a nation-state has a soul. Sanjena Sathian, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2025 Watching Dreyfus stripped of his rank before a jeering crowd, Herzl (about whom Mazower has surprisingly little to say) concluded that the only way Jews could live in safety was to establish a nation-state of their own. Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for nation-state

Word History

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nation-state was in 1895

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Cite this Entry

“Nation-state.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nation-state. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.

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