stateless

adjective

state·​less ˈstāt-ləs How to pronounce stateless (audio)
1
: having no state
2
: lacking the status of a national
a stateless refugee
statelessness noun

Examples of stateless 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.
In 2019, a stateless Chaldean metro Detroiter deported to Iraq died in Baghdad after becoming homeless and struggling to obtain insulin for his diabetes. Violet Ikonomova, Freep.com, 7 May 2026 Palestinian Arabs born in territory that became Israel in 1948 and their descendants, including those who are stateless refugees, do not have a legal path to immigrate, which is one of the central unresolved issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026 Most existing platforms treat them as stateless functions that respond to a prompt and vanish. Janakiram Msv, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2026 Some of the children born in the United States would become stateless – meaning no country would claim them − and may have no pathway to citizenship, even if their parents do. Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stateless

Word History

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stateless was in 1858

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Cite this Entry

“Stateless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stateless. Accessed 21 May. 2026.

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