Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

nation-state

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.83 in modern English

Syllables: na-tion-s-tate
IPA

11

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

4

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A political entity (a state) associated with a common national identity (historically, culturally, or ethnically; as with a nation) and a sovereign territorial unit.

noun

Any independent political state; a country.

Example Sentences

"Two years on, and while the Sultan of Slowjamastan has instigated more than a few bizarre laws (he’s outlawed the wearing of Crocs, for example), the Republic also has all the trappings of a fledgling nation-state. It issues its own passports, flies its own flag, prints its own currency (“the duble”), and has a national anthem that’s played on state occasions."

Etymology

Compound of nation + state. Coined c. 1890s under the influence of European languages; compare German Nationalstaat (from 1840s), Italian Stato-nazione (from 1860s).

Inflected Forms

nation-states (plural) nation state (alternative)

Phrases

aspirant nation-state

Frequently Paired Words

ethnostate civilization-state

Questions

What does nation-state mean?: A political entity (a state) associated with a common national identity (historically, culturally, or ethnically; as with a nation) and a sovereign territorial unit.
Where does nation-state come from?: Compound of nation + state. Coined c. 1890s under the influence of European languages; compare German Nationalstaat (from 1840s), Italian Stato-nazione (from 1860s).

How to pronounce nation-state

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