nation-state

noun

na·​tion-state ˈnā-shən-ˈstāt How to pronounce nation-state (audio)
-ˌstāt
: a form of political organization under which a relatively homogeneous people inhabits a sovereign state
especially : a state containing one as opposed to several nationalities

Examples of nation-state in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Rather than showing the entire area divided up among different groups in the fashion of European nation-states, Village Chief used small circles to indicate various groups in terms of their geographic relationship to each other and to waterways. Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 13 June 2025 But the club are still indelibly linked to the abuses of their nation-state owners — from the Qatar Airways badge on their shirts to the transfer fees for their constellation of starlets. Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 2 June 2025 According to reports in The Wall Street Journal and The Register, these moves have raised concerns about the agency’s ability to meet its mission at a time when cyber threats from nation-state adversaries are escalating. Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025 Thousands of home and small office routers manufactured by Asus are being infected with a stealthy backdoor that can survive reboots and firmware updates in an attack by a nation-state or another well-resourced threat actor, researchers said. Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 28 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for nation-state

Word History

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nation-state was in 1895

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Cite this Entry

“Nation-state.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nation-state. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

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