nationhood

noun

na·​tion·​hood ˈnā-shən-ˌhu̇d 

1

: nationality sense 1

2

: nationality sense 3a

3

: nationality sense 4

Examples of nationhood in a Sentence

the early days of U.S. nationhood

The colonists showed a strong desire for nationhood.

Recent Examples on the Web

The United States has had designs on Canada for centuries, stretching back to the earliest days of American nationhood. —Joseph Thorndike, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025

Two bodies of water — the Persian Gulf in the south and the Caspian Sea to the north — are deeply intertwined in the Iranian psyche as symbols of nationhood. —Farnaz Fassihi, New York Times, 11 May 2025

Estonia maintains a state museum dedicated to the evils of the Soviets and their suppression of Estonian nationhood and identity. —Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 7 May 2025

The federal courts have toggled back and forth between narrow and liberal interpretations of the Constitution’s applicability to immigrants facing deportation – shifts that reflect competing visions of American nationhood and the boundaries of liberal democracy. —Rick Baldoz, The Conversation, 30 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for nationhood

• adulthood
• babyhood
• brotherhood
• cottonwood
• fatherhood
• firewood
• fuelwood
• hardihood
• ironwood
• leatherwood
• likelihood
• livelihood