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
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
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Britain already has the highest borrowing costs in the Group of Seven wealthy nations due to its high debt and interest payments.
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Scotland is a very small nation, six million people who have not been in the World Cup in 28 years.
Noun
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His kingdom, the gesture implied, was already full.
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But Curaçao knows its roots extend to the kingdom almost 5,000 miles away, on a different continent.
Noun
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Build the empire on top of all of it.
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What emerges is a portrait of Maurice as both architect and enigma, a man whose creative vision built an empire and whose personal choices left fractures still being processed decades later.
Noun
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Members of the monarchy wave from carriages, aristocrats don faintly cartoonish top hats and extravagant millinery threatens to obscure the view at every turn.
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The book explores how personal relationships, family dynamics and competing expectations have influenced the monarchy across generations of royal women.
Cite this Entry
“Nation-state.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nation-state. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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