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
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
Germany and other European nations plan to increase government spending over the next several years, resulting in additional bond issuance.
—Garth Friesen, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
Our nation’s and our state’s infrastructure is aging, and among the biggest threats to the long-term stability of our bridges and roadways is the wear and tear caused by overweight trucks.
—Ydanis Rodriguez, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2025
Plus, 64 teams would include more than a quarter of FIFA’s member nations, diluting overall quality and rendering qualifying competitions all but superfluous.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2025
This is familiar to many of us in the Hispanic community whose families fled nations where authoritarian or social regimes called the shots, and dissident voices were questioned about their loyalty to the official cause.
—Julio Fuentes, Hartford Courant, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nation
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Garth Friesen, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
Our nation’s and our state’s infrastructure is aging, and among the biggest threats to the long-term stability of our bridges and roadways is the wear and tear caused by overweight trucks.
—Ydanis Rodriguez, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2025
Plus, 64 teams would include more than a quarter of FIFA’s member nations, diluting overall quality and rendering qualifying competitions all but superfluous.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2025
This is familiar to many of us in the Hispanic community whose families fled nations where authoritarian or social regimes called the shots, and dissident voices were questioned about their loyalty to the official cause.
—Julio Fuentes, Hartford Courant, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nation
Articles Related to nation
Cite this Entry
“Nation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nation. Accessed 12 Mar. 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
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