subnational
adjective
sub·na·tion·al
ˌsəb-ˈna-sh(ə-)nəl 
variants
or sub-national
: existing or occurring below a national level : relating to or being a group or region within a nation
a subnational government
members of a subnational culture
Nations with differing political and economic systems are flourishing. Sub-national groups, with varied and contradictory agendas, are on the rise.—
Fareed Zakaria
Fareed ZakariaExamples of subnational in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Since 2010, more than 100 countries have implemented partial or total bans or fees on plastic shopping bags at either the national or subnational level.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 19 June 2025
Trump tends to favor aggressive national leaders who project power, not upstart rebels or subnational challengers.
—Ryan D. Griffiths, Foreign Affairs, 20 May 2025
From a purely environmental perspective, subnational governments and governors must balance competing interests that do not always align with environmentalists’ ideals.
—Mary Nichols, The Conversation, 19 May 2025
The Monitor spoke with Orville Schell, the Arthur Ross director of the Asia Society’s Center on U.S.-China Relations, about the history of California’s international trade partnerships and the challenges in pursuing subnational diplomacy under the Trump administration.
—Ali Martin, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subnational
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Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 19 June 2025
Trump tends to favor aggressive national leaders who project power, not upstart rebels or subnational challengers.
—Ryan D. Griffiths, Foreign Affairs, 20 May 2025
From a purely environmental perspective, subnational governments and governors must balance competing interests that do not always align with environmentalists’ ideals.
—Mary Nichols, The Conversation, 19 May 2025
The Monitor spoke with Orville Schell, the Arthur Ross director of the Asia Society’s Center on U.S.-China Relations, about the history of California’s international trade partnerships and the challenges in pursuing subnational diplomacy under the Trump administration.
—Ali Martin, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subnational
Cite this Entry
“Subnational.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subnational. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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