as in nation
a form of political organization in which a group of people who share the same history, traditions, or language live in a particular area under one government
the rise of European nation-states in the thirteenth century
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Recent Examples of nation-state
Today, the self-congratulation of white liberals has been displaced by white-supremacist promoters of Western civilization who don’t merely posit but brutally enforce inequality between races, peoples, cultures, and nation-states.
—
Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
The United States kicked out the Spanish, occupied Cuba and proclaimed its desire to turn Cuba into an independent, sovereign nation-state.
—Joseph J. Gonzalez, The Conversation, 23 Mar. 2026
For nearly twenty-five centuries, the Persian Empire and the modern nation-state of Iran had been ruled through monarchy.
—Azadeh Moaveni, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026
These brave souls forged new frontiers for nation-states and planted the right flag for posterity.
—S.c. Stuart, PC Magazine, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nation-state
Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
The United States kicked out the Spanish, occupied Cuba and proclaimed its desire to turn Cuba into an independent, sovereign nation-state.
—Joseph J. Gonzalez, The Conversation, 23 Mar. 2026
For nearly twenty-five centuries, the Persian Empire and the modern nation-state of Iran had been ruled through monarchy.
—Azadeh Moaveni, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026
These brave souls forged new frontiers for nation-states and planted the right flag for posterity.
—S.c. Stuart, PC Magazine, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nation-state
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nation-state
Noun
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Unions representing teachers and principals reached tentative contract agreements with nation’s second-largest school district over the weekend.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
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Trotsky’s arguments about revolution in one nation versus a revolution of the international proletariat, like the fine argumentative tracery of Paul’s Jewish Christians versus Greek ones, seemed vital to the movement at the time but weirdly trivial and abstract to those outside it.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This small Buddhist kingdom in the eastern Himalayas between China and India is experiencing growth in tourism after opening to international visitors only 50 years ago.—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Apr. 2026
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Meanwhile, separate attacks on Saudi Arabia’s Manifa and Khurais oil fields have cut the kingdom’s production by roughly 600,000 barrels per day, the Saudi Press Agency said.—
Lee Ying Shan,Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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If Paul’s creed is essentially Roman, then Christianity looks, from the outset, like a religion trained to live with empire, its compass always set toward placating power.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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Situated at the crossroads of empires — from Persian and Roman to Byzantine, Arab, and Ottoman — it has long been shaped by conquest and survival.—
Marlise Kast-Myers,
Boston Herald,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Eswatini is ruled by a king as Africa’s last absolute monarchy, and authorities have been accused of clamping down on pro-democracy movements, sometimes violently.—
Gerald Imray,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
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Everyone even tangentially involved with the British royal family has opinions about the state of the monarchy and the damage Andrew’s scandals have caused it.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nation-state.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nation-state. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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