city-state

American  

[sit-ee-steyt] / ˈsɪt iˌsteɪt /

noun

1. a sovereign state consisting of an autonomous city and, especially historically, any dependent settlements or territories.

   The Corinthian order of architecture is named for its legendary origin in the ancient Greek city-state of Corinth.

   Singapore’s role in shaping global entrepreneurship has further strengthened that city-state's position in the world economy.

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city-state British  

noun

1. a state consisting of a sovereign city and its dependencies. Among the most famous are the great independent cities of the ancient world, such as Athens, Sparta, Carthage, Thebes, Corinth, and Rome

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Etymology

Origin of city-state

First recorded in 1890–95

Explanation

A city-state is an independent city — and sometimes its surrounding land — which has its own government, completely separate from nearby countries. Monaco is a city-state. Today, there are only five city-states that are truly self-governing, but in the past this was more common. In fact, well-known cities such as Rome and Athens were city-states, and the entire country of Italy was made up of independent merchant city-states during the Renaissance. These days, government tends to be concentrated in a larger country, rather than split into small, sovereign cities.

Example Sentences

Alternate proposals would make Donnyland into an economic development zone — a city-state like Monaco on the French Mediterranean that could be semiautonomous.

From Salon • Apr. 30, 2026

Meanwhile, selected Singapore-centric large-cap real-estate investment trusts could be suitable for investors looking to de-risk, she adds, noting that short-term interest rates in the city-state have stayed low despite expectations of tighter monetary policy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

But the city-state is fighting back, including through tough laws that can compel tech giants to clamp down on fraud -- with scam cases and losses down last year for the first time since 2021.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

"You have the second densest country in the world, that has virtually uncongested streets," Harvard economist Edward Glaeser said of the city-state.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

The Mexica were subordinated by a nearby city-state on the shore, and the tlatoani was forced to send Mexica men as conscripts for its wars.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann