nation-states

noun

plural of nation-state
as in nations
a form of political organization in which a group of people who share the same history, traditions, or language live in a particular area under one government the rise of European nation-states in the thirteenth century

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of nation-states In the world of Berle and Means, firms operated mostly within the boundaries of nation-states. — Mary Johnstone-Louis, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026 During that conflict, their ancestral homes were nation-states. — Ibrahim Al-Marashi, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2026 In the West, nation-states produced an astonishing expansion of equality, democracy and material security. — Literary Hub, 18 May 2026 The tradition endures even as most people quietly agree that art probably shouldn’t be co-opted by the agendas of nation-states. — Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 16 May 2026 Particularly in authoritarian or nondemocratic nation-states, journalists can be jailed or harassed for doing their job of reporting on abuses of power. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 May 2026 That act, of amending Jefferson’s original draft, edit upon edit, has been the story not only of new nation-states declaring their independence but also of people within nation-states. — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 4 May 2026 The modern Zionist political movement began in the late 19th century and gave political expression to our connection to the land of Israel in a modern world shaped by nation-states. — Elad Strohmayer, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026 While these capabilities are intended to help companies detect and fix flaws, they could also be weaponized by hackers, including nation-states, to find and exploit vulnerabilities. — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nation-states
  1. nations
  2. kingdoms
  3. monarchies
  4. empires
Noun
  • Another significant portion of those 13 million barrels were replaced with emergency stockpiles that Western nations, led by the United States, have been releasing for months.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Together, these countries account for the vast majority of global nuclear production, reflecting the capital requirements and long development timelines that limit nuclear power to a relatively small group of nations.
    — Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of nations
Noun
  • For a long time, our leading hypothesis was bullying and violence, but that may be a bit impractical, given their kingdoms are vast networks of tunnels that can stretch for up to three kilometers.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 21 July 2026
  • These stresses put pressure on all of the existing, interconnected kingdoms in the Mediterranean.
    — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 20 July 2026
Definition of kingdoms
Noun
  • The Belgian and Dutch monarchies seem to share a warm bond as well as a border, and Queen Mathilde and Queen Máxima are known to be friends.
    — Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026
  • Even the Gulf monarchies who’ve made their fortunes on oil and gas exports have come around to the idea that this is not a sustainable strategy, yet Trump won’t hear it.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 17 June 2026
Definition of monarchies
Noun
  • In the mid-twentieth century, the United States replaced the crumbling empires of Britain and France and committed itself to the global containment of Soviet Communism.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026
  • This document shows what a national decision on slavery in one of the world’s biggest empires at the time could mean for other territories.
    — Kaitlyn Harvey, AJC.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of empires

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Cite this Entry

“Nation-states.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nation-states. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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