as in republics
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-states
As conditions worsened, city-states fought over power and resources.
—
Lauren Mowery,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
As children, Vi and Jinx lose their parents in an abortive revolution in Zaun, and years later find themselves on opposite sides of an unfolding power struggle between the two city-states.
—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
22 May 2026
With very few exceptions, an end was declared, not only to empires, but also to city-states, duchies, principalities, emirates, sultanates, caliphates, khanates, agencies, princely states, colonies, suzerains, dependencies, mandates, tributaries, condominia and protectorates.
—
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
His route to Sparta would have taken him through Corinth, Nemea, and Arcadia and avoided kingdoms or city-states not allied with Athens.
—
Gitanjali Roy,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Mar. 2026
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
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
Lauren Mowery,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
As children, Vi and Jinx lose their parents in an abortive revolution in Zaun, and years later find themselves on opposite sides of an unfolding power struggle between the two city-states.
—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
22 May 2026
With very few exceptions, an end was declared, not only to empires, but also to city-states, duchies, principalities, emirates, sultanates, caliphates, khanates, agencies, princely states, colonies, suzerains, dependencies, mandates, tributaries, condominia and protectorates.
—
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
His route to Sparta would have taken him through Corinth, Nemea, and Arcadia and avoided kingdoms or city-states not allied with Athens.
—
Gitanjali Roy,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Mar. 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for city-states
Noun
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The trees become roads, hiding places, libraries, kingdoms.
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At first glance, this theory may seem most applicable to tribes, kingdoms, or nations.
Noun
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The tight market, combined with tin's scarcity and supply concentration in high-risk nations such as China and Indonesia, has elevated its status as a critical metal.
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The group stage of this expanded 48-team tournament had threatened to lack a little jeopardy, because eight nations across 12 groups have the safety net of a third-place finish.
Noun
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The Europeans will either become vassals of those empires or learn to stand on their own.
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Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi built commercial empires by transcending the game.
Noun
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Price is where almost every search starts, and the difference between countries is hard to ignore.
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The beverage’s roots go back to 1565, when the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade route began between Mexico and the Philippines, permanently altering both countries’ culinary trajectories.
Cite this Entry
“City-states.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/city-states. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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