1
a(1)
: nationality sense 5a
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 American Indians)
the Seminole Nation in Oklahoma
Synonyms
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 French leader and summit host, Emmanuel Macron, also trumpeted a decidedly pro-business message—underlining just how eager nations around the world are to gain an edge in the development of new AI systems.
—Billy Perrigo/paris, TIME, 11 Feb. 2025
Texas broke away from Mexico in 1836, becoming a
separate nation.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2025
Trump's bids to establish U.S. sovereignty over Greenland and Canada are likely to cause further tensions with American allies, while being unlikely to move forward peacefully due to strong majorities opposed in both nations.
—Justin Gest, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025
The United States was perceived as the most corrupt it's been since 2012 in a watchdog group's annual index of nations around the globe.
—Avery Lotz, Axios, 11 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for nation 
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.
Billy Perrigo/paris, TIME, 11 Feb. 2025
Texas broke away from Mexico in 1836, becoming a
separate nation.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2025
Trump's bids to establish U.S. sovereignty over Greenland and Canada are likely to cause further tensions with American allies, while being unlikely to move forward peacefully due to strong majorities opposed in both nations.
—Justin Gest, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025
The United States was perceived as the most corrupt it's been since 2012 in a watchdog group's annual index of nations around the globe.
—Avery Lotz, Axios, 11 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for nation
Articles Related to nation
Dictionary Entries Near nation
Cite this Entry
“Nation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nation. Accessed 18 Feb. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share