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
Watching Dreyfus stripped of his rank before a jeering crowd, Herzl (about whom Mazower has surprisingly little to say) concluded that the only way Jews could live in safety was to establish a nation-state of their own.
—
Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Anderson specifically pointed to the ongoing threat posed by Volt Typhoon, the Chinese nation-state group focused on embedding itself in critical infrastructure in advance of a potential conflict with the United States.
—Jenna McLaughlin, NPR, 20 Sep. 2025
Smart cities are an enticing target for adversaries, ranging from cybercriminals to nation-state actors, since the consequences of a successful hack may be widespread and extremely disruptive to daily life.
—Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
And there were many others in the floundering nation-states of Asia and Africa who succumbed to the American ideology of individual aggrandizement and self-cherishing.
—Pankaj Mishra, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nation-state
Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Anderson specifically pointed to the ongoing threat posed by Volt Typhoon, the Chinese nation-state group focused on embedding itself in critical infrastructure in advance of a potential conflict with the United States.
—Jenna McLaughlin, NPR, 20 Sep. 2025
Smart cities are an enticing target for adversaries, ranging from cybercriminals to nation-state actors, since the consequences of a successful hack may be widespread and extremely disruptive to daily life.
—Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
And there were many others in the floundering nation-states of Asia and Africa who succumbed to the American ideology of individual aggrandizement and self-cherishing.
—Pankaj Mishra, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nation-state
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nation-state
Noun
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The conflict has been largely concentrated in Nigeria's northeast, with frequent spillover into other provinces and across the borders of neighboring nations, particularly Cameroon, Chad and Niger.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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Protests broke out in the East African nation during and after the vote last Wednesday as demonstrators voiced outrage over the exclusion of Hassan’s main rivals.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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With war looming and chaos consuming the kingdom —drawing in the ruthless kings of other Scandinavian countries and even a powerful English ruler — the stage is set for a thundering, cataclysmic, compelling, and utterly magical new Norse saga.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
11 Nov. 2025
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Snowmaking machines at the kingdom will pump out 100 tons of snow every 24 hours.—
Kirby Adams,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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If Stacey wants to skip out and build her cannabis empire for her daughter instead, I am simply unbothered.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
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Paramount has been bidding since October for WBD, a transaction that would elevate David Ellison’s nascent media empire into a Hollywood force that could not be easily ignored by tech competitors and Wall Street.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Although much of the country’s instability is rooted in its internal fractiousness and troubled transition from monarchy to republican democracy, many Nepalis believe India’s meddling has deepened their endemic political crisis.—
MUHIB RAHMAN,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Nov. 2025
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More profoundly, the BBC functions as a sort of national glue, sitting alongside institutions like the monarchy that are supposed to rise above politics and provide a common reference point for the whole country.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nation-state.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nation-state. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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