nation

¹

[ney-shuhn]

noun

1. 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.

2. the territory or country itself.

   the nations of Central America.

   Synonyms: realm, kingdom, commonwealth, state

3. a member tribe of an American Indian confederation.

4. an aggregation of persons of the same ethnic family, often speaking the same language or cognate languages.

Nation

²

[ney-shuhn]

noun

1. Carry or Carrie (Amelia Moore), 1846–1911, U.S. temperance leader.

nation

/ ˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. an aggregation of people or peoples of one or more cultures, races, etc, organized into a single state

   the Australian nation

2. a community of persons not constituting a state but bound by common descent, language, history, etc

   the French-Canadian nation

3. 1. a federation of tribes, esp American Indians

   2. the territory occupied by such a federation

Other Word Forms

• nationhood noun
• nationless adjective
• internation adjective
• minination noun
• supernation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of nation¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of nation¹

C13: via Old French from Latin nātiō birth, tribe, from nascī to be born

Synonym Study

See race ².

Example Sentences

Marine Corps put forth a plan to build 128 homes for officers and their families on a 32-acre bluff at San Mateo Point near Trestles Beach, one of the nation’s most famous surfing spots.

From Los Angeles Times

Calls for more AI regulation have reverberated throughout the nation’s capital and various states.

From Los Angeles Times

Well, Bruin nation is once again suffering through a lost season.

From Los Angeles Times

It is the latest in a string of suspicious drone activity in Denmark, raising concerns about the nation's vulnerability to aerial attack and sparking fears of potential Russian involvement.

From BBC

The Office for Civil Rights is already investigating at least 45 universities across the nation for allegedly violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by working with the PhD Project.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• community 
• democracy 
• people 
• population 
• public 
• society 
• state 
• tribe 
• union