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

One poster compared Q, the supposed deep state mole who began sending cryptic messages in 2017, to a LARPer—that is, someone who plays live action role playing games.

From Slate • Jan. 20, 2021

The musical cavorts atop your screen as a short course in digital ingenuity and a hectic sprint through a major government screw-up — less deep state than dope state.

From New York Times • Nov. 10, 2020

My eyes are closed, and I am in a very deep state of hypnosis.

From A Practical Guide to Self-Hypnosis by Powers, Melvin