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 That approach has been shaped by decades inside Olympic volleyball, where the difference between standing atop the podium and watching another nation celebrate is frequently measured by only a handful of points. — Tim Genske, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026 The rebels have long sought to create an independent state in northern Mali, which has thrown the West African nation into a violent conflict for over a decade. — ABC News, 11 July 2026 By the time the Round of 16 wrapped up this week, all three co-host nations — Canada, Mexico, and the United States — had been eliminated. — Daniel Ross Goodman, The Washington Examiner, 11 July 2026 By escaping the first round of play, Cape Verde became the smallest nation by population to reach the tournament’s knockout stages. — Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 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
  • Now a union spokesperson says employees might file a complaint with a state board intended to protect public employees.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026
  • Two of those appear to have happened during the Friendsgiving trip the cast took to my home state of Connecticut.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 15 July 2026
Definition of state
Noun
  • Forty of the 48 national teams have at least one player born in another country, with nearly 300 holding dual nationality.
    — the Monitor’s Editorial Board, Christian Science Monitor, 16 July 2026
  • Based on the ancient Hindu epic, the film was originally produced by Brook with screenwriters Jean-Claude Carrière and Marie-Hélène Estienne, and features an international cast drawn from 16 nationalities.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 July 2026
Definition of nationality
Noun
  • Like previous host countries, Turkey is likely to use the summit to put its own security concerns and defense industry on the agenda.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 6 July 2026
  • And, in a country struck by tragedy, this loss felt close to home.
    — Liana Handler Follow, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Definition of country
Noun
  • Conservative commentators including Matt Walsh argued the film prioritized identity politics, echoing past fan criticisms of sci-fi and fantasy reboots that cast Black and Latino actors as beloved characters of a different race or ethnicity.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 July 2026
  • Saadeh, who is of Palestinian descent, told CBS New York the shirt was intended to advocate for children and oppose violence regardless of nationality or ethnicity.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2026
Definition of ethnicity
Noun
  • Her campaign has centered on supporting farmers, expanding Pennsylvania’s natural gas industry, and portraying Shapiro as a career politician more focused on a future White House bid than on leading the commonwealth.
    — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 14 July 2026
  • Virginia’s overall power grid is strained, due in part to the commonwealth’s embrace of data centers.
    — Scott Cohn, CNBC, 9 July 2026
Definition of commonwealth
Noun
  • The country is also home to several minority groups that have clashed with regime forces in the past, including Kurdish militants, Arab and Baloch separatists, among others.
    — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
  • Anything tragic that happened to minorities was inevitable and necessary.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of minority
Noun
  • The family fought for three hours last July Fourth to stay alive after more than a summer’s worth of rain fell overnight on bone-dry soil, pushing the waterway from about 3 feet to 30 feet in just 45 minutes.
    — Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • History shows family successions, whether in North Korea or Syria, tend to happen through rigid authoritarian control, with the transfer of power underwritten by whoever controls the military.
    — Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026
Definition of family
Noun
  • In the 2010s, both Theresa May and Boris Johnson became prime minister after winning Conservative leadership races when their predecessors resigned midterm.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 July 2026
  • Heading into the final weekend of the tournament, Messi led the Golden Boot race over talented players far younger, tied with France’s Kylian Mbappe at eight goals, but holding the edge with four assists to three.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 18 July 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 18 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on nation

Nglish: Translation of nation for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nation

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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

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

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
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
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All