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
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
But Netanyahu’s rhetoric, if impolitic, was resonant: the image of Israel as a militarized city-state will be hard to dispel.
—Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 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
When Singapore gained independence in 1965 after its separation from Malaysia, few expected the small city-state — which turns 60 on Saturday — to survive.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for city-state
Elisabeth Brier, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
But Netanyahu’s rhetoric, if impolitic, was resonant: the image of Israel as a militarized city-state will be hard to dispel.
—Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 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
When Singapore gained independence in 1965 after its separation from Malaysia, few expected the small city-state — which turns 60 on Saturday — to survive.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for city-state
Recent Examples of Synonyms for city-state
Noun
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The 22nd Amendment was written precisely to prevent this scenario—to ensure that no man, however popular or ruthless, could hold the republic hostage and affect billions with temper tantrums ad infinitum.—
Dan Perry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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The same Philadelphia that witnessed the birth of American independence also nurtured competing visions of nationhood—ones that challenged the very foundations of who could claim full citizenship in the republic.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The history of premodern Southeast Asia, where small kingdoms competed and traded without coming under the dominion of China or India, suggests a different model.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
5 Nov. 2025
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Saudi Aramco reported a surprise increase in profits and boosted its forecasts for gas production as the kingdom embarked on a policy of lifting crude output to grab market share.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The conflict has been largely concentrated in Nigeria's northeast, with frequent spillover into other provinces and across the borders of neighboring nations, particularly Cameroon, Chad and Niger.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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Protests broke out in the East African nation during and after the vote last Wednesday as demonstrators voiced outrage over the exclusion of Hassan’s main rivals.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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In the 1950s, this was not the US but the dying empires of Britain and France, which had dominated the Middle East for the first half of the century.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
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Another meeting was held in Barcelona, at the offices being used as a base for Ratcliffe’s INEOS empire’s America’s Cup operation.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
1 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Even over-the-counter basics, like children’s Tylenol or chewable Pepto-Bismol, can be surprisingly hard to find abroad, especially in countries where pharmacies stock different formulations or ban certain medications altogether.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Oct. 2025
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Presented in Milan earlier this month, CCI assessed 20 fashion companies showing at Milan Fashion Week last month, drawing data from 11 platforms in 50 countries and assigning a score between 0 and 100 according to the three pillars of brand popularity, brand involvement and purchase intent.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
31 Oct. 2025
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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Screech your outrage, ACC schools disrespected by just one bid and pound your shoes on a desk somewhere, Notre Dame haters, especially those in the commonwealth of Kentucky and in the sunny setting of Miami.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
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In late October, three companies — Akebono Brake Corporation, HJI Supply Chain Solutions and Wayfair — announced the shuttering of their Kentucky locations and the loss of nearly 800 jobs in the commonwealth, the Courier Journal previously reported.—
Olivia Evans,
Louisville Courier Journal,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz and María Luisa Manrique de Lara y Gonzaga (a rather pompous name that encompassed two major hereditary estates, a principality, a county, a marquisate, and, for a time, a viceroyalty) met in 1680 in Mexico City.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
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Owned in majority by the government of the principality, the SBM counts LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton among its minority shareholders.—
Lily Templeton,
Footwear News,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“City-state.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/city-state. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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