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nation-state

American  
[ney-shuhn-steyt] / ˈneɪ ʃənˌsteɪt /

noun

  1. a sovereign state inhabited by a relatively homogeneous group of people who share a feeling of common nationality.


nation-state British  

noun

  1. an independent state inhabited by all the people of one nation and one nation only

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of nation-state

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"Nation-state actors are among the most professional players in the cyber threat landscape," said Kreuzer.

From Barron's

Today Prague is one of the most visited cities in Europe, the national capital for a compact Czech nation-state.

From The Wall Street Journal

For Xi, the party’s earlier conceptions of a multiethnic China were too weak a foundation for building a modern nation-state, according to Oidtmann.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Renaissance revived themis and unleashed the scientific revolution as the epitome of techne; the Protestant Reformation made the nation-state and democracy the vehicles of both.

From The Wall Street Journal

But the idea of linguistic commonality among members of a nation-state was not ever a demand for monolingualism.

From Salon