state
Americannoun
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states
plural
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the condition of a person or thing, as with respect to circumstances or attributes.
a state of health.
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the condition of matter with respect to structure, form, constitution, phase, or the like.
water in a gaseous state.
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status, rank, or position in life; station.
He dresses in a manner befitting his state.
- Synonyms:
- standing
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the style of living befitting a person of wealth and high rank.
to travel in state.
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a particular condition of mind or feeling.
to be in an excited state.
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an abnormally tense, nervous, or perturbed condition.
He's been in a state since hearing about his brother's death.
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a politically unified people occupying a definite territory; nation.
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the territory, or one of the territories, of a government.
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Sometimes State any of the bodies politic which together make up a federal union, as in the United States of America.
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the body politic as organized for civil rule and government (distinguished from church).
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the operations or activities of a central civil government.
affairs of state.
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Also called State Department. Informal. State. the Department of State.
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Printing. a set of copies of an edition of a publication which differ from others of the same printing because of additions, corrections, or transpositions made during printing or at any time before publication.
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Informal. the States, the United States (usually used outside its borders).
After a year's study in Spain, he returned to the States.
adjective
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of or relating to the central civil government or authority.
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made, maintained, or chartered by or under the authority of one of the commonwealths that make up a federal union: a state bank.
a state highway;
a state bank.
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characterized by, attended with, or involving ceremony.
a state dinner.
- Synonyms:
- dignified, imposing, ceremonial, stately
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used on or reserved for occasions of ceremony.
verb (used with object)
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states,
present (3rd person singular)
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stated,
past participle, past
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stating
present participle
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to declare definitely or specifically.
She stated her position on the case.
- Synonyms:
- affirm, asseverate, assert, aver
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to set forth formally in speech or writing.
to state a hypothesis.
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to set forth in proper or definite form.
to state a problem.
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to say.
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to fix or settle, as by authority.
- Synonyms:
- determine
idioms
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state of mind. see state of mind.
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lie in state, (of a corpse) to be exhibited publicly with honors before burial.
The president's body lay in state for two days.
noun
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the condition of a person, thing, etc, with regard to main attributes
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the structure, form, or constitution of something
a solid state
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any mode of existence
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position in life or society; estate
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ceremonious style, as befitting wealth or dignity
to live in state
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a sovereign political power or community
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the territory occupied by such a community
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the sphere of power in such a community
affairs of state
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(often capital) one of a number of areas or communities having their own governments and forming a federation under a sovereign government, as in the US
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(often capital) the body politic of a particular sovereign power, esp as contrasted with a rival authority such as the Church
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obsolete a class or order; estate
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informal a nervous, upset, or excited condition (esp in the phrase in a state )
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(of a body) to be placed on public view before burial
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a situation; present circumstances or condition
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the current situation
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controlled or financed by a state
state university
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of, relating to, or concerning the State
State trial
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involving ceremony or concerned with a ceremonious occasion
state visit
verb
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to articulate in words; utter
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to declare formally or publicly
to state one's innocence
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to resolve
Synonym Usage
State, condition, situation, status are terms for existing circumstances or surroundings. State is the general word, often with no concrete implications or material relationships: the present state of affairs. Condition carries an implication of a relationship to causes and circumstances: The conditions made flying impossible. Situation suggests an arrangement of circumstances, related to one another and to the character of a person: He was master of the situation. Status carries official or legal implications; it suggests a complete picture of interrelated circumstances as having to do with rank, position, standing, a stage reached in progress, etc.: the status of negotiations. See maintain.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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statehoodnoun
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substatenoun
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counterstateverb
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outstateverb (used with object)
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antistateadjective
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statableadjective
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stateableadjective
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unstatableadjective
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unstateableadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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statesimple
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statessimple
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have statedperfect
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has statedperfect
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am statingprogressive
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are statingprogressive
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is statingprogressive
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have been statingperfect progressive
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has been statingperfect progressive
Past
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statedsimple
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had statedperfect
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was statingprogressive
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were statingprogressive
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had been statingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of state
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English noun stat(e), partly from estat estate, partly from Latin status “condition” ( see status); the meanings state in defs. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 derive from Latin status (rērum) ) “state (of things)” or status (reī pūblicae) “state (of the republic)”
Explanation
State can be a condition — like solid, liquid, or gas, or even sad or happy. It can also be a state as in Idaho or New York. To state is to say something. State comes from the Latin status, meaning "condition of a country." Interestingly, even before the Revolutionary War, Britain called the American colonies states. The “States” still refers to America, but state can refer to any country’s civil government. The idea of state as a physical or emotional condition came later. Depending on your state of mind, you can state that the state of your state is awesome. Unless it’s in a state of emergency, which is no good.
Vocabulary lists containing state
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 4
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The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
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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:
And on Thursday, North Korean state media reported test-fires of shells for an updated 240mm multiple-rocket-launcher system with unmanned “pinpoint” guidance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
Most importantly, being in a less reactive state would give me a better shot at attaining my actual goal—getting medical coverage—instead of simply insulting a customer service person.
From Slate ● Sep. 27, 2026
In January 2026, California became the 15th state to mandate insurance companies pay for IVF.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
The former state attorney general was also arrested in 2022.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
Finally—your dragon will be very sensitive to your own emotional state.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
It not only covered more services than other states, including three egg retrievals and unlimited embryo transfers, it covered them for more people.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
More than a dozen other states, including California and New York, still have active suits against TikTok.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
Scientists are still trying to understand how the brain manages this energy budget as it moves through different internal states.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026
Some 39 states require personal-finance lessons for high-school graduates, according to the Council for Economic Education Survey of the States.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 26, 2026
“I’ve got this paper that states my claim. This land is mine. Not yours.”
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged the pain caused by the sanctions but stated that his nation would withstand the economic pressure.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
Bunch “briefed the Regents on his efforts to navigate the dual pandemics caused by the Coronavirus and issues surrounding race, racism, and racial identity,” the minutes of the June 2020 meeting stated.
From Salon ● Sep. 25, 2026
The fees the club stated they spent on the trio at the time the transfers were announced added up to £153m, and it is not clear where the additional sum has been spent.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
A previous version of this article stated that McDonald’s has nearly 40,000 restaurants worldwide.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
The treaty also stated that no citizen of the US, nor any white person, could settle on the remaining Indigenous land.
From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
The European Commission denied targeting any specific nationality, stating it is simply protecting its digital and democratic standards to maintain its role as a global benchmark.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
Amazon blocked Muse from accessing its site and purchasing items, stating the app didn’t have authorization to do so.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
Moore acknowledged the mistake, stating that he has things he needs to fix to ensure he does not show his plays to opposing defenses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
During his acting prime, the actor made visits to multiple children’s hospitals through the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Starlight Foundation, stating in a post on X that they changed his life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Noodles sat in my living room drinking a soda, stating the obvious.
From "When I Was the Greatest" by Jason Reynolds
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.
