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definitions

failed state

noun
  1. a nation in which the government has lost political authority and control and is unable to fulfill the basic responsibilities of a sovereign state.

Origin of failed state

First recorded in 1990–95
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for failed state

failed state

noun
  1. a weak state where social and political structures have collapsed to the point where the government has little or no control
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