nation

noun

ˈnā-shən How to pronounce nation (audio)
Definition of nationnext
1
as in state
a body of people composed of one or more nationalities usually with its own territory and government the American people became one nation when they adopted the Constitution in 1789

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in nationality
a people having a common language, culture, and body of traditions an international organization dedicated to upholding the basic human rights of people from all nations

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nation Putin’s expansionist Russian strategy seems eerily like Adolf Hitler’s advances across Europe and certainly reminiscent of Soviet Russia building an Iron Curtain around Eastern European nations after World War II. — Bob Kustra, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026 For Rwandan President Paul Kagame, the race offers a chance to attract more visitors and investment to the East African nation and raise its global profile. — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026 JioHotstar has time and again shown how technology can bring a nation together through its sports and entertainment offering. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 22 Oct. 2026 Since then, our nation has been molded by the knowledge that the United States did the right thing. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nation
  1. state
  2. nationality
  3. country
  4. ethnicity
  5. commonwealth
  6. minority
  7. family
  8. race
Noun
  • Advocates tout the measure as the most comprehensive update in a decade to the state's firearms laws.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • In both Michigan and Ohio, college and professional football have been a subplot of the toss-up Senate races in each state.
    — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of state
Noun
  • The report also raises the possibility that foreign fighters currently in Syria, including Uyghurs, Uzbeks, Tajiks and other nationalities, could be transferred to Yemen.
    — Khaled Wassef, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Coleman said his father is not political and may have been targeted because of his American nationality.
    — Garrett Haake, NBC news, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of nationality
Noun
  • On foreign policy, Lula has worked to boost the political influence of countries in the Global South as a founding member of the BRICS group, a grouping of major emerging economies that includes Brazil, China, Russia, India and South Africa.
    — Catherine Osborn, NPR, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, Elon Musk, who has spent more than four hundred million dollars on Republican campaigns this election cycle, slowed Ukraine’s access to his Starshield satellite network, leaving that country more vulnerable to Russian attacks.
    — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of country
Noun
  • Regardless of gender or ethnicity, risk factors include exposure to secondhand smoke, radon, air pollution and asbestos.
    — Meeri Kim, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
  • All participants were also of European ancestry, so the findings may not apply to people of different races and ethnicities.
    — Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of ethnicity
Noun
  • The indictment, unsealed Thursday, alleges that Lucas and her relatives set up a business to sell marijuana before the substance was legalized for recreational sales in the commonwealth.
    — Washington Post staff, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Lucas, 82, has long been a powerful force in Virginia state politics and previously spearheaded the commonwealth's redistricting effort which was reversed by the state's Supreme Court earlier this year.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of commonwealth
Noun
  • Over the past two months, amid efforts to find what could be more than $20 billion to recapitalize insurance funds, Walter has sold his controlling interest in the Lakers and a minority share of Chelsea, the English Premier League club.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Additionally, ethnic and Indigenous minorities, such as the Roma people in Europe and the Uyghur people in China, are targets of the practice, as are people with disabilities and transgender and intersex persons.
    — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of minority
Noun
  • Another family attempted to navigate the gate to access medical appointments.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Sanders, who spoke alongside el Sayed in Grand Rapids, said Trump’s attacks on the Democratic candidate were rooted in Islamophobia because Republicans have little to say about the issues affecting working families.
    — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of family
Noun
  • The Michigan Senate contest is just one of the high-profile races where AIPAC has spent in favor of a pro-Israel politician or in opposition to someone the organization sees as less favorable to Israel.
    — Saige Miller, NPR, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The Senate race appears to be the one Republicans are most worried about.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of race

Browse Nearby Words

nates
nation
national
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nation. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on nation

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nation

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All