city-state

noun

ˈsi-tē-ˌstāt How to pronounce city-state (audio)
 also  -ˈstāt
: an autonomous state consisting of a city and surrounding territory

Examples of city-state in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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For months, tensions had been building between the two city-states as the Athenians clashed with Sparta’s friends and the Spartans sat idly by. A. Wess Mitchell, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025 Derek Loh, Singapore’s high commissioner to Bangladesh, told delegates at the meeting that the southeast Asian city-state is keen to invest further in Bangladesh’s infrastructure sector. Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 21 Apr. 2025 Rather, in the tradition of the Seabury Commission that investigated Walker, a joint city-state body, composed of qualified persons with minimal political attachments, can take a hard look at the charges against the mayor. Christian Browne, New York Daily News, 23 Feb. 2025 Princess Charlene of Monaco joined members of the sovereign city-state’s royal family for the 2025 edition of the Rose Ball. Julia Teti, Footwear News, 31 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for city-state

Word History

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of city-state was in 1840

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Cite this Entry

“City-state.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/city-state. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

city-state

noun
ˈsit-ē-ˈstāt,
-ˌstāt
: a self-governing state consisting of a city and surrounding territory

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