nation-state

noun

na·​tion-state ˈnā-shən-ˈstāt 

-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

Youn feared that in recognizing Taiwan as a nation-state, the Biennale’s national pavilion program could escalate into a diplomatic dispute between South Korea and China amid the growing geopolitical tensions across East Asia. — Vivienne Chow, ARTnews.com, 29 Sep. 2026

The White House cited the statute, used against hacktivists, nation-state hackers and other cybercriminals, in an executive order directing prosecutors to pursue those who use AI to illegally access computers or further other crimes. — ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026

Historically, adversarial nation-states were largely considered the biggest cybersecurity threat to critical infrastructure. — Justine Calma, The Verge, 20 Sep. 2026

The argument for freedom of movement often involves a comparison to movement within a nation-state. — J. Toby Reiner, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nation-state

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate