ship of state

American  

noun

1. a nation or its affairs likened to a ship under sail.

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ship of state Idioms  

1. The nation, as in We can't help but wonder who will be steering our ship of state a hundred years from now. This metaphoric expression was first recorded in English in a translation of Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince (1675).

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Etymology

Origin of ship of state

First recorded in 1665–75

Example Sentences

“We need to turn the ship of state around and get this democracy heading in the right direction,” Negron said.

From Los Angeles Times

Constitution, may be her best yet, a capacious work that lands at the right moment, like a life buoy, as our ship of state takes on water.

From Los Angeles Times

Following in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Gerald Ford’s attempt to right the ship of state, Carter blew into town an outsider intent on shaking up the Washington establishment.

From Salon

Calm captains of the ship of state struggle to navigate the world system’s waves and shoals.

From Los Angeles Times

Spain claims the San José is a "ship of state" as it belonged to the Spanish navy when it was sunk and its contents are protected under a UN convention Colombia is not party to.

From BBC