nation
noun
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.
nation
1 American
[nay-shuhn]
/ ˈneɪ ʃən /
noun
-
nations
plural
-
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.
Nation
2
American
[nay-shuhn]
/ ˈneɪ ʃən /
noun
nation
British
/ ˈneɪʃən /
noun
-
an aggregation of people or peoples of one or more cultures, races, etc, organized into a single state
the Australian nation
-
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
-
Synonym Usage
See race 2.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
There were no reports yet of casualties but extensive damage was expected, particularly in the center of the Central American nation.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
The shallow tremor was felt across the Central American nation of around 4.5 million people, according to the National Civil Protection System, and lasted for around a minute.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
The Florida vote comes as homeowners across the nation have expressed frustration over big jumps in their property taxes.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
A roundup of the 145 state-level ballot measures across the nation, from voting rules to tax policy to Idaho’s choice over an official “state gun.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
With a laugh, he says, “Is everyone ready to go to the parade? We’re a modern independent nation now. Haven’t you heard? We must celebrate!”
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
A phone call in the middle of the night informs Armand of a body to be found in Lost Nation, a place even harder to locate than Three Pines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
“The charts of bitcoin, and other leading cryptos, continue to look encouraging from a technical point of view,” David Morrison, senior market analyst at Trade Nation, said in recent emailed notes to clients.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
Bra Steve is the local organiser of Father A Nation, a non-profit that works with men and boys to promote positive masculinity and help end violence against women.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
The American Independent and One Nation did not respond to an AFP request for comment.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
Nation, Simba, and I slept on the concrete floor beside them.
From "I Will Always Write Back" by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda
According to a recent report by the OECD, a club of developed nations, the French government spends more per lycée student than the EU average for upper-secondary schools.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Scientists agree that warming above 1.5C relative to pre-industrial times poses grave risks, and nearly 200 nations committed a decade ago to try and keep global temperature rises to this safer threshold.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
And that nations need not abandon their distinct identities in order to recognize their common interests.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Seoul later demanded Ukraine apologise for "announcing a falsehood" and said its actions had seriously damaged trust between the two nations.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Globes were spun ’round like tops, and the capital cities of midsized European nations were identified with an impressive degree of accuracy, by current and former students alike.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
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.
