nations

noun

plural of nation
1
as in countries
a body of people composed of one or more nationalities usually with its own territory and government the American people became one nation when they adopted the Constitution in 1789

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in nationalities
a people having a common language, culture, and body of traditions an international organization dedicated to upholding the basic human rights of people from all nations

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 nations Western nations have imposed economic and political sanctions in response to the military takeover and violent repression of opposition, which has led to the deaths of thousands of civilians and given rise to a civil war. — ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026 Multiple Western nations declined to join the board earlier this year. — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026 The exercise took place off the coast of Hawaii, RIMPAC 26 and involved 34 nations and more than 25,000 personnel. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 16 Aug. 2026 Nations can be as vulnerable to uncertainty, as can individuals, but nations have even fewer ways to lay off risk on someone else. — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 16 Aug. 2026 The Taliban are increasingly pushing for arrangements with European nations that have been seeking ways to deport more Afghans. — Reuters, NBC news, 15 Aug. 2026 These have been found to typically be most prevalent among African and South Asian nations. — Mark Carey, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026 In June, the European Union formally requested that the five Caribbean nations shut down their Citizenship-by-investment programs by 2028 or lose visa-free travel to the bloc. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 9 Aug. 2026 Only for the Journal’s editorialists to gently pat presumably a few less than sanguine readers on the head with an allegedly encouraging caveat about legislation that empowers presidents to impose tariffs of the 100% kind on other nations. — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nations
  1. countries
  2. nationalities
  3. states
  4. ethnicities
  5. kingdoms
  6. minorities
  7. races
Noun
  • In 1974, both countries signed an agreement at the United Nations defining the maritime boundaries in the strait.
    — Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Yet for Asian countries that endured Japanese imperial rule and expansion, Yasukuni remains a symbol of Japan’s militarism.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of countries
Noun
  • The report didn’t mention the nationalities of other referees implicated.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Because Anthropic lacked a reliable way to verify users’ nationalities in real time, the company disabled both models worldwide within hours before gradually restoring access after negotiations with the administration.
    — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of nationalities
Noun
  • States however, have stepped in to regulate what banks do with that interest, with several states requiring that a portion of the interest generated from mortgage escrow accounts be returned to the homeowner paying into the account.
    — P.R. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
  • While the order suggests states update their laws to match these changes, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has already said the state won't be changing its recommendations.
    — Olivia Young, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of states
Noun
  • The church’s origins date to the arrival of Christian missionaries in Mombasa in 1844, and its membership has long represented a diverse cross section of Kenyan society, with members of various ethnicities and social strata.
    — Stephanie TriplettAll, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa, the big three of the three hundred–plus ethnicities that made up the national character, exerted their outsized influence in the shattering wave of military coups that preceded and followed the brutal civil war.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of ethnicities
Noun
  • Gwayne wants Daeron to be made King of the Reach and various other kingdoms loyal to the Greens, while Rhaenyra can claim the rest.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • For a long time, our leading hypothesis was bullying and violence, but that may be a bit impractical, given their kingdoms are vast networks of tunnels that can stretch for up to three kilometers.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 21 July 2026
Definition of kingdoms
Noun
  • In one case, the Administration wanted to place a citizenship question on census forms, claiming that this would somehow help protect minorities’ voting rights.
    — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • High land prices also compound barriers for prospective farmers, including minorities who face historical inequities in land ownership and access to funding, according to the report.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of minorities
Noun
  • But in some of the most critical races that will help decide control of the next Congress, several Democrats are openly sharing how their faith shapes them and their politics.
    — Hannah Demissie, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • As a consequence, Chicagoland no longer had any races luring the best horses in North America, a major blow to the prestige of the circuit.
    — Neil Milbert, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of races

Browse Nearby Words

nationals
nations
nation-state
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Cite this Entry

“Nations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nations. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of nations for Spanish Speakers

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