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 The drive to define the face as a data point, something to be grasped and controlled, underpins the bureaucracy of the modern nation-state, in which faces are surveyed, categorized, and stored in digital banks. — Cal Revely-Calder, New Yorker, 29 June 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 This was the era of decolonization, when nation-states delivered one-third of humanity from the humiliation of imperial rule, restoring political autonomy and dignity where they had long been removed. — Literary Hub, 18 May 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 See All Example Sentences for nation-state
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nation-state
  1. nation
  2. kingdom
  3. empire
  4. monarchy
Noun
  • Some two dozen nations have sent some 3,000 emergency personnel to Venezuela.
    — Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
  • Both countries have stepped up efforts to safeguard freedom of navigation and uphold international law in the strait, including hosting a summit with 51 other nations in April.
    — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
Definition of nation
Noun
  • Riyadh's exports over the two weeks to July 2 were more than double the 15 million barrels the kingdom shipped through the strait from March 9 through June 17.
    — Azhar Sukri, CNBC, 4 July 2026
  • Tipu’s kingdom finally fell in 1799, when British and allied forces overwhelmed his fortress at Seringapatam, a few hours’ drive from present-day Bangalore.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 2 July 2026
Definition of kingdom
Noun
  • Jones has thrown every wrench at the paper to try and foil the reboot of his digital streaming and supplement empire.
    — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 3 July 2026
  • The tennis icon has built a sprawling business empire that includes a venture capital firm, Serena Ventures; the multimedia company Nine Two Six Productions; and Wyn Beauty, while also holding stakes in the Miami Dolphins and Angel City FC.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 3 July 2026
Definition of empire
Noun
  • The Declaration of Independence was about severing the chains of a British monarchy and creating a government powered by the people with checks and balances.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • This swept away Iran’s monarchy and birthed a state that is part theocracy, part republic, with a handful of semi-democratic institutions swaddled by a system that is ultimately clerical.
    — Xiaoqian Lin, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
Definition of monarchy

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Cite this Entry

“Nation-state.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nation-state. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on nation-state

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nation-state

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