deep state

American  

[deep stayt] / ˈdip ˈsteɪt /

noun

1. a group of unelected officials in government agencies or private organizations who are believed by some to be secretly exerting undue or illegal influence on government policy.

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Example Sentences

Mojtaba Khamenei worked for decades in his shadow; he knows all the details about how the deep state works when it confronts external threats and internal upheaval.

From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026

For months, California’s public higher education institutions have braced for deep state funding cuts, fearing they would lead to reductions in student services, course offerings and even enrollment.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2025

Buddy is soon cast into a deep state of emotional limbo, unsure of himself and his place in life.

From Salon • Nov. 23, 2023

Eventually he was returned to his execution holding cell “in a deep state of shock and post-traumatic stress.”

From Slate • Oct. 11, 2022

This subject did not pass into such a deep state of hypnotism, but the result was practically the same.

From Complete Hypnotism, Mesmerism, Mind-Reading and Spiritualism How to Hypnotize: Being an Exhaustive and Practical System of Method, Application, and Use by Alpheus, A.