nation-states

noun

plural of nation-state
as in nations
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-states Ternus’ hard technical skills may not translate easily to a position that involves toggling from Hollywood to stockholders, to politicians shaping policy, to rival CEOs in the constellation of tech companies whose power challenges nation-states. — Andrew R. Chow, Time, 15 Oct. 2026 Historically, adversarial nation-states were largely considered the biggest cybersecurity threat to critical infrastructure. — Justine Calma, The Verge, 20 Sep. 2026 For the first 15 years thereafter, terrorism supplanted other threats such as those coming from nation-states (China, Iran, North Korea and Russia), and our country took our eye off of existential threats to our security. — John M. Weaver, Baltimore Sun, 10 Sep. 2026 After they were replaced by oligarchs, along came nation-states and sovereign wealth funds. — Simon Hughes, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026 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 In the world of Berle and Means, firms operated mostly within the boundaries of nation-states. — Mary Johnstone-Louis, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026 During that conflict, their ancestral homes were nation-states. — Ibrahim Al-Marashi, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nation-states
  1. nations
  2. kingdoms
  3. monarchies
  4. empires
Noun
  • Leftist mainstream media outlets piled on this week to express outrage at my observation, during a speech in Grand Rapids for Mike Rogers, about the troubling dearth of scientific output from the world’s 22 Arab nations over the past five decades.
    — Gabrielle M. Etzel, The Washington Examiner, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Deployments from contributing nations have lagged and costs have risen.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of nations
Noun
  • The agreement followed a long struggle between the Hittite and Egyptian kingdoms for control of territory in ancient Syria.
    — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Like kingdoms of old, SaaS companies are sitting on treasure troves of data.
    — Srinivas Velamoor, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of kingdoms
Noun
  • In contrast to other Gulf monarchies, especially Saudi Arabia, Qatar sees no threat in the Muslim Brotherhood, the political movement that spawned Hamas.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 Oct. 2026
  • That point mattered in a republic still deciding how its authority should differ from that of the European monarchies that Americans portrayed as corrupt.
    — Maurizio Valsania, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of monarchies
Noun
  • The territories at various times have been part of the Russian and Ottoman empires, medieval Kievan Rus’ and earlier civilizations.
    — Catherine Belton, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The Fantasy Bra Club is a who's-who of supermodels and, now, reality TV billionaires with makeup empires.
    — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of empires

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nation-state
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Cite this Entry

“Nation-states.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nation-states. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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