nation
1 Americannoun
-
a large body of people, associated with a particular territory, that is sufficiently conscious of its unity to seek or to possess a government peculiarly its own.
The president spoke to the nation about the new tax.
-
the territory or country itself.
the nations of Central America.
- Synonyms:
- realm, kingdom, commonwealth, state
-
a member tribe of an American Indian confederation.
-
an aggregation of persons of the same ethnic family, often speaking the same language or cognate languages.
noun
noun
-
an aggregation of people or peoples of one or more cultures, races, etc, organized into a single state
the Australian nation
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a community of persons not constituting a state but bound by common descent, language, history, etc
the French-Canadian nation
-
-
a federation of tribes, esp American Indians
-
the territory occupied by such a federation
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Related Words
See race 2.
Other Word Forms
- internation adjective
- minination noun
- nationhood noun
- nationless adjective
- supernation noun
Etymology
Origin of nation
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Latin nātiōn- (stem of nātiō ) “birth, tribe,” equivalent to nāt(us) (past participle of nāscī “to be born”) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
A nation is a country and its people. It's also the word used for the Native American tribal federations in the US — the Cherokee Nation, for instance — which have their own governments and territories. Nation comes from the Latin root nat-, which means "born" — the neonatal unit in a hospital is where the newborn babies are cared for. You can also use nation more loosely for ethnic or religious groups: you might speak of "the Jewish nation," meaning not just the country, or nation, of Israel, but Jews all over the world. The Nation of Islam is an African-American Muslim group.
Vocabulary lists containing nation
Human Geography - Middle School
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Michelle Obama's Speech at the 2016 DNC
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Human Geography - High School
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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.
His remarks drew fierce condemnation from Nigerians and other Africans online who accused the Kenyan leader of demeaning a fellow African nation.
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026
President Ronald Reagan informed the nation from the White House Briefing Room that he had ordered U.S. troops to the Caribbean island of Grenada.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
Four days later, Carney addressed the nation displaying a figurine of Gen. Isaac Brock, who repelled U.S. forces invading what is today Canada in the War of 1812.
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
She is likely to start at point guard for the Bruins and is one of the best rebounding guards in the nation.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026
From the ruins, the Bolshevik Party would become the Communist Party, and Lenin would emerge as the head of a new nation with a new form of government.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
