nation-state

noun

Definition of nation-statenext
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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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-state During that conflict, their ancestral homes were nation-states. — Ibrahim Al-Marashi, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2026 This was the era of decolonization, when nation-states delivered one-third of humanity from the humiliation of imperial rule, restoring political autonomy and dignity where they had long been removed. — Literary Hub, 18 May 2026 The tradition endures even as most people quietly agree that art probably shouldn’t be co-opted by the agendas of nation-states. — Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 16 May 2026 Particularly in authoritarian or nondemocratic nation-states, journalists can be jailed or harassed for doing their job of reporting on abuses of power. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for nation-state
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nation-state
  1. nation
  2. kingdom
  3. empire
  4. monarchy
Noun
  • Federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies, alongside international law enforcement partners and host nation authorities, are all contributing to the security architecture for this tournament.
    — Adam Leventhal, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • Iran attacked a power generation and water desalination plant in Kuwait, the Gulf nation said on Saturday.
    — Monica Haider, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
Definition of nation
Noun
  • Corey Hawkins as Polybus Polybus is another one of Penelope’s many suitors who scheme to take her hand and kingdoms for themselves.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
  • Iran launched attacks on Saudi Arabia for the first time in about three months, according to two people familiar with the matter, triggering early warning alarms in Al-Kharj, east of the capital Riyadh, and at Yanbu on the kingdom's Red Sea coast.
    — Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 18 July 2026
Definition of kingdom
Noun
  • Another gripe for many is the American accents uniformly applied to these characters from Greek mythology when everyone knows that all the glorious empires of Hollywood speak exclusively in British accents.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
  • Renoir painted the Cahen d’Anvers sisters, including their elder sister, Irène, when France was coming out of a national crisis, turning itself from empire to re-public; deciding what and how to be.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 July 2026
Definition of empire
Noun
  • It’s celebrated on July 14 because that’s the day Parisians stormed the Bastille fortress and prison in 1789, helping spark the French Revolution that overthrew the monarchy and sent King Louis XVI and his queen Marie-Antoinette to the guillotine.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 July 2026
  • Japan’s monarchy has for centuries maintained male-only succession, which is on-brand for a deeply patriarchal society where men dominate other spheres of life such as business and politics.
    — Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
Definition of monarchy

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Cite this Entry

“Nation-state.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nation-state. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on nation-state

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nation-state

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