as in republic
a state that has its own government and consists of a city and the area around it
the city-states of ancient Greece
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Recent Examples of city-state
With crops failing and fears of starvation rising, some wealthy Italian city-states like Florence and Venice imported grain from elsewhere in the world.
—
Evan Bush, NBC news, 4 Dec. 2025
An ensuing grain shortage threatened to spark a famine or civil unrest, so Italian city-states, such as Venice and Genoa, resorted to emergency imports from the Black Sea region, which helped keep the population fed.
—Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 4 Dec. 2025
Grace Fu has served as Singapore's environmental chief since 2020, allocating nearly $4 billion to coastal resilience projects in the low-lying city-state while leading international negotiations on climate policy.
—Elisabeth Brier, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Consequently, Persia abandoned its westward expansion, while various Greek city-states formed a tenuous alliance that lasted nearly 50 years.
—Debbie Felton, The Conversation, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for city-state
Evan Bush, NBC news, 4 Dec. 2025
An ensuing grain shortage threatened to spark a famine or civil unrest, so Italian city-states, such as Venice and Genoa, resorted to emergency imports from the Black Sea region, which helped keep the population fed.
—Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 4 Dec. 2025
Grace Fu has served as Singapore's environmental chief since 2020, allocating nearly $4 billion to coastal resilience projects in the low-lying city-state while leading international negotiations on climate policy.
—Elisabeth Brier, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Consequently, Persia abandoned its westward expansion, while various Greek city-states formed a tenuous alliance that lasted nearly 50 years.
—Debbie Felton, The Conversation, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for city-state
Recent Examples of Synonyms for city-state
Noun
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The two former Soviet republics, Armenia and Azerbaijan, agreed under the deal to reopen key transportation routes and bolster cooperation with the United States in energy, technology and economy.—
MICHELLE L. PRICE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
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The uniforms originally featured Toussaint Louverture, the former slave who led a revolution that created the world’s first Black republic in 1804, astride a red horse.—
Stefanie Dazio,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Saudi Arabia announced on Saturday a major investment package in Syria spanning energy, aviation, real estate and telecommunications, as the kingdom positions itself as a leading backer of Syria’s new leadership.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
8 Feb. 2026
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Since then, Mukaab, a massive cuboid building, has been cancelled elsewhere in the kingdom due to cost concerns.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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And measles isn't eliminated in this nation.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Feb. 2026
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Once a child in the stands cheering on his countrymen in Brno, Dostál is now one of his nation’s top goalies, and leads a resurgence of Czech netminders across the NHL.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But empires fall, and dynasties crumble.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
8 Feb. 2026
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Situated at the crossroads of empires — from Persian and Roman to Byzantine, Arab and Ottoman — it has long been shaped by conquest and survival.—
Marlise Kast-Myers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Joy Neumeyer What do the far right’s fluctuating fortunes in Poland suggest about countries seeking an off-ramp from autocracy?—
Leah Downey,
The New York Review of Books,
7 Feb. 2026
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So whatever successes – or failures – South Korea experiences will inform how other countries battle their own crises.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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However, the duchy passed on to Prince William when Charles became king on the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.—
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 July 2025
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Known collectively as Hessians, since most Germans hired by London to fight in America came from Hesse-Kassel, this contingent was largely from the small, impoverished duchy of Brunswick, whose ruling family had intermarried with the British royal family.—
/ CBS News,
CBS News,
13 June 2025
Noun
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Is another Buc-ee's location opening in the commonwealth this year?—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
4 Feb. 2026
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This fictional town is set in the same state (also a commonwealth) in which America’s early immigrants from England based their first permanent settlement in 1607.—
J. D. Biersdorfer,
New York Times,
2 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Also known as a Jodhpuri suit, the bandhgala originated in the principality of Rajasthani Jodhpur in the 16th century.—
Brendan Ruberry,
semafor.com,
15 Jan. 2026
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Yoshi is arguably among the most upscale spots for Japanese cuisine in the principality.—
Lane Nieset,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“City-state.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/city-state. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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