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
Related Words
Relevance
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
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
That act, of amending Jefferson’s original draft, edit upon edit, has been the story not only of new nation-states declaring their independence but also of people within nation-states.
—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Iran is to Trump what Ukraine is to Vladimir Putin, what Hamas and Hezbollah have been to Benjamin Netanyahu and — wait for it — what the next generation of cyberhackers will be to China and America and every other nation-state.
—
Thomas L. Friedman,
Mercury News,
4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for nation-state
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
That act, of amending Jefferson’s original draft, edit upon edit, has been the story not only of new nation-states declaring their independence but also of people within nation-states.
—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Iran is to Trump what Ukraine is to Vladimir Putin, what Hamas and Hezbollah have been to Benjamin Netanyahu and — wait for it — what the next generation of cyberhackers will be to China and America and every other nation-state.
—
Thomas L. Friedman,
Mercury News,
4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for nation-state
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nation-state
Noun
-
Britain already has the highest borrowing costs in the Group of Seven wealthy nations due to its high debt and interest payments.
-
Scotland is a very small nation, six million people who have not been in the World Cup in 28 years.
Noun
-
Last to note, Jupiter, our planet of expansion, soars into the kingdom of Leo from June 30 until July 26, 2027.
-
Even though the monarchy no longer exists in Rwanda, so revered are the cows that the traditional gifting and exchanging them among kingdoms has been embraced by Kagame.
Noun
-
In what is now the desert Southwest, Velarde was born among the remnants of the Spanish empire and lived under the flags of Mexico and Texas; briefly, the Confederacy, though his family opposed it; and finally, under the stars and stripes of the United States of America.
-
When religion is made to serve the work of empire rather than the work of liberation, something has gone grievously wrong.
Noun
-
Against the odds, our founders defeated a monarchy and created what would become the richest, freest, and most powerful country the world has ever seen.
-
The royals use the Palace of the Holyroodhouse, the monarchy's official residence in Edinburgh, as their base of operations during this time, and the celebrations always start with the monarch symbolically receiving the keys to the city.
Cite this Entry
“Nation-state.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nation-state. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
