state

play

noun, often attributive \ ˈstāt \

Definition of state

1 a :mode or condition of being

a state of readiness

b (1) :condition of mind or temperament

in a highly nervous state

(2) :a condition of abnormal tension or excitement

2 a :a condition or stage in the physical being of something

insects in the larval state

the gaseous state of water

b :any of various conditions characterized by definite quantities (as of energy, angular momentum, or magnetic moment) in which an atomic system may exist

3 a :social position; especially :high rank

b (1) :elaborate or luxurious style of living

(2) :formal dignity :pomp —usually used with in

4 a :a body of persons constituting a special class in a society :estate 3

b states plural :the members or representatives of the governing classes assembled in a legislative body

c obsolete :a person of high rank (as a noble)

5 a :a politically organized body of people usually occupying a definite territory; especially :one that is sovereign

b :the political organization of such a body of people

c :a government or politically organized society having a particular character

a police state

the welfare state

6 :the operations or concerns of the government of a country

7 a :one of the constituent units of a nation having a federal government

the fifty states

b States plural :The United States of America

8 :the territory of a state

See state defined for English-language learners

See state defined for kids

Examples of state in a Sentence

Happiness is the state or condition of being happy.
We must keep our armed forces in a constant state of readiness.
She meditates to achieve a higher state of being.
The building is in such a sorry state that it's hardly worth fixing.
water in a gaseous state
the solid and liquid states
the member states of the United Nations Security Council

Recent Examples of state from the Web

That skepticism about government was on display in 2013, when the state’s two senators voted against additional federal funding to clean up after Superstorm Sandy.

— christopher flavelle, Bloomberg.com, "Harvey Could Reshape How and Where Americans Build Homes," 30 Aug. 2017
In 2015, fifth graders in California spearheaded a campaign to have the Mexican Repatriation be included in the state's curriculum; the resulting law was officially passed in 2015.

— araceli cruz, Teen Vogue, "Mexican Repatriation During the Great Depression, Explained," 30 Aug. 2017
For example, some states require parental consent—but sometimes parental consent is actually parental coercion.

— shay maunz, Glamour, "How Your State Is Letting Child Marriage Happen," 30 Aug. 2017
Beechwood is set to play at Somerset in the south/central part of the state Friday night, and that game is still on schedule.

— james weber, Cincinnati.com, "Harvey forces changes in high school football schedules," 30 Aug. 2017
The charges had not been entered into the state’s online court records database as of Wednesday afternoon.

— erika butler, The Aegis, "Driver of May charter bus crash on I-95 to be charged," 30 Aug. 2017
An alternative to letting people buy in to Medicare is letting them buy in to Medicaid, the joint federal-state program for those with low incomes.

— julie rovner, Kaiser Health News, "5 Outside-The-Box Ideas For Fixing The Individual Insurance Market," 30 Aug. 2017
McKay said Indiana Department of Homeland Security is prepared to deploy probably 40 to 50 people from across the state.

— javonte anderson, Post-Tribune, "NWI emergency responders ready to help Harvey victims," 29 Aug. 2017
At an internal meeting in May, a North Korean official reportedly told a group of state officials that the country’s missiles could reach all of China.

— adam mount, The Atlantic, "How China Sees North Korea," 29 Aug. 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of state

Middle English stat, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French estat, from Latin status, from stare to stand — more at stand

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

state Synonyms

Synonyms

commonwealth, country, land, sovereignty (also sovranty), nation

Near Antonyms

debasement, degradation; subordinateness, subordination; baseness, commonness, inferiority, lowliness, lowness

state

verb

Definition of state

stated; stating

transitive verb

1 :to set by regulation or authority

2 :to express the particulars of especially in words :report; broadly :to express in words

—

statable

or stateable play \ˈstā-tə-bəl\ adjective

See state defined for English-language learners

Examples of state in a Sentence

The lawyer will state the facts of the case.
He stated his name in full.
I was merely stating an opinion.
“This is a difficult situation,” he stated simply.
Please state the purpose of your visit.
I'd like to state for the record that I disagree with the board's decision.
For the reasons stated above, I hereby withdraw from the competition.
The rules clearly state that you can only draw one card.

Recent Examples of state from the Web

The meeting then moved onto testimony, during which many residents stated their firm opposition to the project.

— kate magill, Laurel Leader, "Savage Mill development debate continues," 30 Aug. 2017
Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the suspect's family member was killed.

— author: suzanna caldwell, Alaska Dispatch News, "1 dead, 1 wounded in Aniak shooting spree, troopers say," 28 Aug. 2017
The potential tropical cyclone is currently stationary with winds moving at 35 mph, and forecasters stated winds will strengthen during the next 48 hours.

— wilborn p. nobles iii, NOLA.com, "Forecasters tracking potential tropical cyclone south of the Carolinas," 27 Aug. 2017
Guidelines: Submissions should be around 600 words; should state a topic clearly, with supporting examples; and use examples drawn from South Florida.

— carol c. lumpkin and stephanie n. moot, miamiherald, "South Florida businesses, get ready for a wave of website-accessibility lawsuits," 27 Aug. 2017
The child refused, but the suspect kept asking and stated the photos could be a secret between the two, according to police.

— hannah leone, Aurora Beacon-News, "'They attempted to steal her youth': Stranger allegedly asks Batavia child for topless photos online," 23 Aug. 2017
Seduction can begin weeks before over text, and lead right up to a teasing moment of foreplay, stating your designs on your partner’s body.

— tina horn, Allure, "A Beginner's Guide to Talking Dirty (Without Feeling Awkward)," 23 Aug. 2017
Correction: An earlier version of this piece stated that Barron was returning to Washington, DC from Arizona, not New Jersey.

— jay willis, GQ, "It’s High Time Barron Trump Starts Dressing However the Hell He Wants," 22 Aug. 2017
Correction: An earlier version of this story stated Lee's age as 26, not 36 (an error inserted in editing).

— mark shrayber, Cosmopolitan, "6 Sarasota Residents Say What They Really Think About Siesta Key," 18 Aug. 2017

First Known Use of state

1647

state Synonyms

Synonyms

articulate, clothe, couch, express, formulate, put, say, phrase, word

Antonyms

stifle, suppress

Related Words

craft, frame; hint, imply, insinuate, intimate, suggest; paraphrase, rephrase, restate, reword, summarize, translate; communicate, disclose, speak, talk, tell, utter, verbalize, vocalize; describe, render, write up

Near Antonyms

stifle, suppress

STATE Defined for English Language Learners

state

play

noun

Definition of state for English Language Learners

: a way of living or existing
: the overall physical condition of something : the ability of something to be used, enjoyed, etc.
: the things that affect the way you think or feel : your physical or mental condition

state

verb

Definition of state for English Language Learners

: to express (something) formally in speech or writing
: to give (specific information, instructions, rules, etc.) in writing

STATE Defined for Kids

state

play

noun \ ˈstāt \

Definition of state for Students

1 :manner or condition of being

Steam is water in the gaseous state.

… the health inspector was rather picky about the state of the cafeteria …
—Pam Zollman, Don't Bug Me!

2 :a body of people living in a certain territory under one government :the government of such a body of people

3 :one of the divisions of a nation having a federal government

the United States of America

state

verb

Definition of state for Students

stated; stating

1 :to express especially in words

I'm just stating my opinion.

2 :to set by rule, law, or authority

The rules of the contest are stated below.

Medical Dictionary

state

play

noun \ ˈstāt \

medical Definition of state

:mode or condition of being: as

a :condition of mind or temperament

a manic state

b :a condition or stage in the physical being of something

the gaseous state of water

Law Dictionary

state

noun, often attributive

legal Definition of state

1 a :a politically organized body of people usually occupying a definite territory; especially :one that is sovereign

b :the political organization that has supreme civil authority and political power and serves as the basis of government — see also compelling state interest at interest 3a, separation of church and state

c :a government or politically organized society having a particular character

a police state

2 :the operations or concerns of the government of a country :the sphere of administration and supreme political power of a country (as in international relations)

secrets of state

affairs of state

3 a :one of the constituent units of a nation having a federal government; specifically :one of the fifty such units comprising the great part of the U.S. — see also state law

b :the territory of a state