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.

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Example Sentences

Just adjacent to the facility, still in operation today, is a haunting reminder of the past: the graves of more than 200 children who died in state custody.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

Bonus season on Wall Street is expected to generate about $199 million more in state income tax revenue and $91 million more in city revenue compared with a year earlier, according to DiNapoli.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

Lukashenko visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun -- where Kim's embalmed father and grandfather lie in state -- to pay his respects, flanked by top North Korean officials, the report said.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

Schoolteachers are girding to address students’ questions, anger and confusion over a figure whose name and books are deeply embedded in state curriculum and celebrations.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

Rosa Vaughan’s suit against Burt, who was represented by one of the same law firms that had represented Hale in the murder trials, was initially dismissed in state court.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann