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
Groypers believe that for decades America has prostrated itself to immigrants and foreign nations at the expense of its own languishing citizens.
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
After waiting 21 years to get back to the Final Four, the Illini nation wanted more.
—Jermont Terry, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
They are horrified by their old lyrics, so full of obvious wish fulfillment by sleazy males looking to attract an unabashedly sleazy nation.
—Andrew Walsh, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Apr. 2026
Russia is one of the world’s main oil exporters, and Asian nations are increasingly competing for Russian crude oil as an energy crisis mounts.
—Serra Yedikardes, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nation
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Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
After waiting 21 years to get back to the Final Four, the Illini nation wanted more.
—Jermont Terry, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
They are horrified by their old lyrics, so full of obvious wish fulfillment by sleazy males looking to attract an unabashedly sleazy nation.
—Andrew Walsh, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Apr. 2026
Russia is one of the world’s main oil exporters, and Asian nations are increasingly competing for Russian crude oil as an energy crisis mounts.
—Serra Yedikardes, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 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 6 Apr. 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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