plural nations
1
a(1)
: nationality sense 2b
… [three Slav peoples] … forged into a Yugoslavia without really fusing into a Yugoslav nation.—
Hans Kohn
Hans Kohn
(2)
: a politically organized nationality
(3)
in the Bible
: a non-Jewish nationality
Why do the nations conspire …?—Psalms 2:1 (Revised Standard Version)
Psalms 2:1 (Revised Standard Version)
b
: a community of people composed of one or more nationalities and possessing a more or less defined territory and government
Canada is a nation with a written constitution …—B. K. Sandwell
B. K. Sandwell
c
: a territorial division containing a body of people of one or more nationalities and usually characterized by relatively large size and independent status
… a nation of vast size with a small population …—Mary K. Hammond
Mary K. Hammond2
archaic
: group, aggregation
3
: a tribe or federation of tribes (as of Indigenous peoples)
a member of the Cherokee Nation
the Seminole Nation in Oklahoma
Examples of nation in a Sentence
It's one of the richest nations in the world.
the largest state in the nation
The President will speak to the nation tonight.
The entire nation is celebrating the victory.
Recent Examples on the Web
The question still remains which country will successfully land astronauts (or taikonauts) back on the moon first, but there's no denying which nation will be the first to fly a crew to lunar space in the new millennium.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 2 Jan. 2026
Several African nations including South Africa and Namibia are competing to meet the growing demand in Europe and Asia for hydrogen and ammonia produced from renewable energy.
—Preeti Jha, semafor.com, 2 Jan. 2026
Since its founding, HIWC has received applications from more than 500 candidates from 40 nations.
—Terry Wagner, Dallas Morning News, 2 Jan. 2026
Sodiq Ayo/via REUTERS Joshua was born in Britain to Nigerian parents and often visits the African nation.
—CBS News, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nation
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Josh Dinner, Space.com, 2 Jan. 2026
Several African nations including South Africa and Namibia are competing to meet the growing demand in Europe and Asia for hydrogen and ammonia produced from renewable energy.
—Preeti Jha, semafor.com, 2 Jan. 2026
Since its founding, HIWC has received applications from more than 500 candidates from 40 nations.
—Terry Wagner, Dallas Morning News, 2 Jan. 2026
Sodiq Ayo/via REUTERS Joshua was born in Britain to Nigerian parents and often visits the African nation.
—CBS News, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nation
Cite this Entry
“Nation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nation. Accessed 4 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nation
noun
na·tion
ˈnā-shən 
2
: a community of people composed of one or more nationalities usually with its own territory and government
3
: the territory of a nation
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