country

American  

[kuhn-tree] / ˈkʌn tri /

noun

countries plural

1. a state or nation.

   What European countries have you visited?

2. the territory of a nation.

   The country is about 150 miles long.

3. the people of a district, state, or nation.

   The whole country backed the president in his decision.

4. the land of one's birth or citizenship.

   Do I need to return to my country to apply for a student visa?

5. the country, rural districts, including farmland, parkland, and other sparsely populated areas, as opposed to cities or towns.

   Many city dwellers like to spend their vacations in the country.

6. any considerable territory demarcated by topographical conditions, by a distinctive population, etc..

   The mountainous country around here is beautiful.

   The book takes place in the Amish country of Pennsylvania.

7. land considered apart from any geographical or political limits.

   This urban population is packed into a relatively small patch of country.

8. Law. the public at large, as represented by a jury.

9. country music.

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adjective

1. of, from, or characteristic of the country; rural.

   They lived on a winding country road.

2. of, relating to, or associated with country music.

   That Nashville station plays country records all day long.

3. rude; unpolished; rustic.

   He was scorned for his country manners.

4. of, from, or relating to a particular nation or area; national.

   Each team will display their country flag during the opening ceremony.

5. Obsolete. of one's own country.

idioms

1. go to the country, to dissolve a Parliament and call for an election after members have cast a majority vote expressing a lack of confidence in the prime minister and cabinet. Also appeal to the country.

2. put oneself upon the / one's country, to present one's cause formally before a jury.

country British  

/ ˈkʌntrɪ /

noun

1. a territory distinguished by its people, culture, language, geography, etc

2. an area of land distinguished by its political autonomy; state

3. the people of a territory or state

   the whole country rebelled

4. an area associated with a particular person

   Burns country

5. 1. the part of the land that is away from cities or industrial areas; rural districts

   2. ( as modifier )

      country cottage

   3. ( in combination )

      a countryman

6. short for country music

7. archaic a particular locality or district

8. away from the coast or the capital

9. one's native land or nation of citizenship

10. informal the outlying area or area furthest from the finish of a sports ground or racecourse

11. (modifier) rough; uncouth; rustic

    country manners

12. not keeping to roads, etc

13. to dissolve Parliament and hold an election

14. an unfamiliar topic, place, matter, etc

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• intercountry
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• countries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of country

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English cuntree from Anglo-French, Old French from unrecorded Vulgar Latin (regiō) contrāta “(area) opposite,” from Latin contr(ā) counter ³ + -āta (feminine of -ātus -ate ¹ ); compare German Gegend “region,” derivative of gegen against

Explanation

A country is a nation, a body of land with one government. Also, rural areas outside cities and towns are called the country. There are many countries in the world: places that have a central government and a common identity. America was once just a bunch of colonies of England. It wasn't until they fought for independence from England that America became a country. Also, "the country" is any place that's away from cities and rural: the country has farms and open spaces. Country life is quieter than city life — except for the early morning roosters.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

country countries

Now that it’s over, and it worked, can we declare ourselves a proper soccer country?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

Following repeated public awareness campaigns, many passengers now ask for one before boarding - something which rarely happens elsewhere in the country.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

When the state was slow to act, conservative preachers’ sermons were cruel and much of the country looked away, these spaces helped people endure.

From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026

In more recent cases, State Department intelligence analyst Walter Kendall Myers and former US ambassador to Bolivia Victor Manuel Rocha pled guilty in separate cases to spying for the communist country.

From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026

I’ll be taking them on a train, through forests, across a river, and on to meet another member of the Resistance who will get them to a boat and lead them out of the country!

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

Who wouldn’t be moved by the heroic performances of underdog countries against the game’s traditional powers, like tiny Cabo Verde and ancient Egypt?

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, recommended Monday that EU countries delay noncompliance penalties that had been set to take effect next year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

The privately held global produce supplier is based in Salinas, Calif., and operates in several countries.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026

But, on the other hand, there are those who would argue that bringing more teams into the World Cup ultimately allows the game to develop further in those countries.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

Several European countries, watching and waiting on the sidelines, would soon choose sides.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

Related Words

• community
• land
• people
• public
• region
• society
• state