state

noun, often attributive

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\ ˈstāt

Definition of state

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

2a : 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

3a : social position especially : high rank

b(1) : elaborate or luxurious style of living

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

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

5a : 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

7a : 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

state

verb

stated; stating

Definition of state (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to set by regulation or authority

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

Other Words from state Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about state

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Examples of state in a Sentence

Noun 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 Verb 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 on the Web: Noun Hotels elsewhere in the city and county sold for as little as $25,000 per room, although most were in the low six figures, according to the Atlas Hospitality Group, which tracks hotel and motel sales across the state. — Jeff Mcdonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, "San Diego pays top dollar and near-top dollar for hotels to house the homeless," 21 Feb. 2021 Cold and ice had set in the day before, leading to spreading power outages across the state. — Nomaan Merchant, chicagotribune.com, "How a winter storm pushed Texas into a power, political crisis: ‘Who set up this system?’," 21 Feb. 2021 Seniors across the state have expressed their frustrations to The Arizona Republic. — Brieanna J. Frank, The Arizona Republic, "'You just gave me life': Groups help seniors, disabled people get COVID-19 vaccine appointments," 20 Feb. 2021 In 2018, law enforcement agencies across the state seized 3,640 vehicles in drunken driving arrests. — Matt Mckinney, Star Tribune, "Burnsville drunken driving arrest ends with vintage Ferrari on the auction block," 19 Feb. 2021 While electricity has largely been restored across the state, there are currently more than 184,000 customers still without power. — Abigail Rosenthal, Chron, "ERCOT's request for power conservation is over," 19 Feb. 2021 There’s been different initiatives across the state for a while. — Taylor Kate Brown, San Francisco Chronicle, "MicroClimates: A delicious way to fight climate change," 19 Feb. 2021 Across the state, Black and Latino residents are mostly concentrated in cities, while many neighboring suburbs remain more than 90% white. — Alex Putterman, courant.com, "West Hartford is mostly white, while Bloomfield is largely Black. How that came to be tells the story of racism and segregation in American suburbs," 19 Feb. 2021 That's something Texans have been doing across the state. — Nick Romano, EW.com, "Trevor Noah and Jimmy Kimmel drag Ted Cruz for Cancun fiasco: 'You gotta be s----ing me, dude!'," 19 Feb. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Plus, to state the obvious, homes in Houston and along the Gulf shores are not meant to protect from this type of winter weather. — Caitlin Cruz, The New Republic, "I’m Tired of Living Through Extraordinary Times in Texas," 20 Feb. 2021 The burden should be on the State Department to clearly state the need to first report your passport as lost or stolen before applying for a replacement. — Star Tribune, "Travel Troubleshooter: The government gets to keep your $116 passport application fee," 12 Feb. 2021 From an oil patch in Alaska to state capitals to the halls of Congress, the industries and their allies are aiming to slow Biden’s unprecedented push for climate action and keep profits from fossil fuels flowing. — Author: Juliet Eilperin, Brady Dennis, Anchorage Daily News, "As Biden vows monumental action on climate change, a fight with the fossil fuel industry has only begun," 28 Jan. 2021 But Berry plays it close to the vest and isn’t one to state his contract intentions during press conferences. — Mary Kay Cabot, cleveland, "Andrew Berry ‘very pleased with’ Baker Mayfield but not verbally committing to extension like John Harbaugh with Lamar Jackson," 21 Jan. 2021 Nearly all the non-Christian representatives (with the exception of three: two Jews and one who declined to state his religious affiliation) were Democrats. — The Salt Lake Tribune, "New Congress is overwhelmingly Christian, heavily Protestant and has 9 Latter-day Saints (all Republicans)," 4 Jan. 2021 Hawley was the first Senator to publicly state his support to toss out the Electoral College votes in key battleground states which Trump has alleged voter fraud. — al, "Alabama freshman congressmen, Barry Moore and Jerry Carl, back effort to overturn election results," 4 Jan. 2021 More specifically, the aim of the call was to get Raffensperger to reverse himself before Wednesday, or, at least, to state publicly that there were some outstanding questions about the Georgia vote tallies. — John Cassidy, The New Yorker, "Trump’s Authoritarian Moment Is Here," 4 Jan. 2021 Democrats plan on pushing the measure for a vote on Tuesday, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has declined to publicly state how the Senate will handle the legislation. — BostonGlobe.com, "No travel history in 1st reported US case of COVID-19 variant," 30 Dec. 2020

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.

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More Definitions for state

state

noun

English Language Learners Definition of state

(Entry 1 of 2)

: 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

English Language Learners Definition of state (Entry 2 of 2)

: to express (something) formally in speech or writing

: to give (specific information, instructions, rules, etc.) in writing

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

state

noun

\ ˈstāt

Kids Definition of state

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

stated; stating

Kids Definition of state (Entry 2 of 2)

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.

state

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

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state

noun, often attributive

Legal Definition of state

1a : 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 sense 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

3a : 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

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