nation
1 Americannoun
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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.
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the territory or country itself.
the nations of Central America.
- Synonyms:
- realm, kingdom, commonwealth, state
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a member tribe of an American Indian confederation.
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an aggregation of persons of the same ethnic family, often speaking the same language or cognate languages.
noun
noun
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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
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a federation of tribes, esp American Indians
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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
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 vague rhetoric was meant to appease a nation increasingly opposed to the conflict.
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
This week, the U.S. allowed a Russian tanker to deliver roughly 730,000 much-needed barrels to the embattled nation.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
“We are on track to complete all of America’s military objectives shortly, very shortly,” he said in a primetime address to the nation Wednesday night.
From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet told AFP in February that scam centres were destroying his country's economy and giving the nation a bad name, vowing to "clean this out".
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
And the participation of Marina’s aviators in the war effort would help present a picture of the nation as equal in all ways.
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.
