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in state

Idioms  

  1. With pomp and ceremony, as in The foreign leaders were dining in state at the White House. This expression, dating from the late 1600s, also appears in lie in state, said of a dead body ceremoniously exposed to public view before being interred. This latter usage, dating from about 1700, is generally confined to important public figures, as in His Majesty lay in state in the palace.

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.

Similar efforts are moving forward in state legislatures.

From Salon • Apr. 26, 2026

The new Virginia map is being challenged in state court, but judges may be loath to overturn a referendum.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

China’s 15th Five-Year Plan targets widespread quantum computer availability by 2030, backed by an estimated $16 billion in state support.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

Magyar has spoken of Hungary being robbed bare, with billions going missing in state contracts and corruption taking place on an industrial scale.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Each arrest, in theory, would net a given city or county about $153 in state and federal funding.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.