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 Europe could revert to a collection of nation-states ruled by illiberal nationalist governments content to accommodate Civilizational America. — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 Terrorists, criminal organizations, hostile nation-states, and sophisticated cybercriminals can now move money across borders with unprecedented speed using cryptocurrency. — Mitchell Silber, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026 Louden points out, for example, that Swedish and Norwegian are highly mutually intelligible, but neither is considered a dialect of the other, or of a parent language, primarily because each is associated with a separate nation-state. — Eythana Miller, The Dial, 23 June 2026 The hypocrisy becomes even more obvious when examining other nation-states. — Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 4 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for nation-state
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nation-state
  1. nation
  2. kingdom
  3. empire
  4. monarchy
Noun
  • Its interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, the former al-Qa’eda militant who led the rebel offensive that overthrew dictator Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, has been struggling to rebuild a nation devastated by almost 14 years of civil war.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Asian food Lucknow is considered by many Indians as one of the country’s greatest culinary capitals, but beyond the South Asian nation’s borders, the city has remained largely absent from global conversations about food.
    — Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of nation
Noun
  • In the days since, a flood of deals have been announced to bring Chinese robotaxis, laptops, AI models, and data centers to the kingdom — while putting the competition for tech dominance between China and the US into stark relief.
    — Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The king arbitrarily gives up his power and divides his kingdom among his children.
    — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of kingdom
Noun
  • Von Furstenberg, who built a fashion empire around a silhouette that empowered women to be in charge of their own bodies and lives, always got the memo, too.
    — Tiziana Cardini, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Bobby Bones presides over an audio empire thanks to his eponymous radio show, a partnership with the NFL and dalliances in TV work.
    — Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of empire
Noun
  • The new king must steady royal fortunes amid damaging scrutiny of Queen Mette-Marit’s past ties to Jeffrey Epstein and stepson Marius Høiby’s rape conviction, which has eroded public support for the monarchy.
    — Jan M. Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The first prince of Norwegian descent born in 567 years, his birth held special significance for the young Norwegian monarchy.
    — Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of monarchy

Browse Nearby Words

nations
nation-state
nation-states
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Cite this Entry

“Nation-state.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nation-state. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on nation-state

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nation-state

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