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
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
Those myths were conveyed through performance, sung in the great halls of the elite, recited at festivals all across the ancient world, staged at the theatre to large audiences, and displayed on wall paintings, mosaics, vases, and sculptures that adorned both sacred sanctuaries and city-states.
—Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 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
Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Mar. 2026
Those myths were conveyed through performance, sung in the great halls of the elite, recited at festivals all across the ancient world, staged at the theatre to large audiences, and displayed on wall paintings, mosaics, vases, and sculptures that adorned both sacred sanctuaries and city-states.
—Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 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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All kingdoms crumble, though, and after a decade-plus reign, the cupcake was left behind—an aging monarch overthrown by Dominique Ansel’s cronut, and the neophilic nature of social media feeds.—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
28 Apr. 2026
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Let’s run through the whole sordid inventory of critters who have had unusual encounters with Kennedy—including denizens of several different animal kingdoms.—
Erin Vanderhoof,
Vanity Fair,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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That cost was evident in financial markets on Tuesday, with the interest rate charged on British government bonds up by more than those of comparable nations — that shows that investors are putting a higher price on taking on government debt.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
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In London, there were 64 competing nations in both the men’s and women’s competitions.—
Eduardo Tansley,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
Noun
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Originating in the Indian subcontinent, modern day Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan, the diamond’s story has gone beyond borders, eras and empires, continuing to captivate the world, according to Britain’s Historic Royal Palaces.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
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My assignment in Croatia was to write about the Adriatic Coast—about saltwater and islands, olive oil and langoustines, lavender and wildflowers, local tales and ancient legends, the lapse of empires, and the pursuit of health.—
Kevin West,
Travel + Leisure,
8 May 2026
Noun
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Over 140 films from 35 countries will be screened over the course of the festival.—
Payton Turkeltaub,
Variety,
13 May 2026
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The highly anticipated adaptation of Rebecca Yarros' bestselling romantasy novel will stream exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.—
Deirdre Durkan,
PEOPLE,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“City-states.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/city-states. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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