state

American  

[stayt] / steɪt /

noun

• states
  plural

1. the condition of a person or thing, as with respect to circumstances or attributes.

   a state of health.

2. the condition of matter with respect to structure, form, constitution, phase, or the like.

   water in a gaseous state.

3. status, rank, or position in life; station.

   He dresses in a manner befitting his state.

   Synonyms:

   standing

4. the style of living befitting a person of wealth and high rank.

   to travel in state.

5. a particular condition of mind or feeling.

   to be in an excited state.

6. an abnormally tense, nervous, or perturbed condition.

   He's been in a state since hearing about his brother's death.

7. a politically unified people occupying a definite territory; nation.

8. the territory, or one of the territories, of a government.

9. Sometimes State any of the bodies politic which together make up a federal union, as in the United States of America.

10. the body politic as organized for civil rule and government (distinguished from church).

11. the operations or activities of a central civil government.

    affairs of state.

12. Also called State Department. Informal. State. the Department of State.

13. 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.

14. Informal. the States, the United States (usually used outside its borders).

    After a year's study in Spain, he returned to the States.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the central civil government or authority.

2. 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.

3. characterized by, attended with, or involving ceremony.

   a state dinner.

   Synonyms:

   dignified, imposing, ceremonial, stately

4. used on or reserved for occasions of ceremony.

verb (used with object)

• states,
  present (3rd person singular)
• stated,
  past participle,  past
• stating
  present participle

1. to declare definitely or specifically.

   She stated her position on the case.

   Synonyms:

   affirm, asseverate, assert, aver

2. to set forth formally in speech or writing.

   to state a hypothesis.

3. to set forth in proper or definite form.

   to state a problem.

4. to say.

5. to fix or settle, as by authority.

   Synonyms:

   determine

idioms

1. state of mind. see state of mind.

2. lie in state, (of a corpse) to be exhibited publicly with honors before burial.

   The president's body lay in state for two days.

state British  

/ steɪt /

noun

1. the condition of a person, thing, etc, with regard to main attributes

2. the structure, form, or constitution of something

   a solid state

3. any mode of existence

4. position in life or society; estate

5. ceremonious style, as befitting wealth or dignity

   to live in state

6. a sovereign political power or community

7. the territory occupied by such a community

8. the sphere of power in such a community

   affairs of state

9. (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

10. (often capital) the body politic of a particular sovereign power, esp as contrasted with a rival authority such as the Church

11. obsolete a class or order; estate

12. informal a nervous, upset, or excited condition (esp in the phrase in a state )

13. (of a body) to be placed on public view before burial

14. a situation; present circumstances or condition

15. the current situation

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1. controlled or financed by a state

   state university

2. of, relating to, or concerning the State

   State trial

3. involving ceremony or concerned with a ceremonious occasion

   state visit

verb

1. to articulate in words; utter

2. to declare formally or publicly

   to state one's innocence

3. to resolve

state More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing state

• in a lather (state)
• in state
• ship of state

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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

• statehood
  noun
• substate
  noun
• counterstate
  verb
• outstate
  verb (used with object)
• antistate
  adjective
• statable
  adjective
• stateable
  adjective
• unstatable
  adjective
• unstateable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• states
  plural

Participles

• stating
  present
• stated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• state
  simple
• states
  simple
• have stated
  perfect
• has stated
  perfect
• am stating
  progressive
• are stating
  progressive
• is stating
  progressive
• have been stating
  perfect progressive
• has been stating
  perfect progressive

Past

• stated
  simple
• had stated
  perfect
• was stating
  progressive
• were stating
  progressive
• had been stating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will state
  simple
• will have stated
  perfect
• will be stating
  progressive
• will have been stating
  perfect progressive

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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)”

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

state states stated stating

The story begins with the Big Bang, when the universe existed in an extremely hot, dense state filled with electrons and other subatomic particles.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 12, 2026

The state Democratic Party received nearly $40.9 million in contributions this year through Oct.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2026

Huang and his wife, Lori Huang, were seated at the head table of a state dinner for China’s Xi Jinping in September, alongside other tech executives.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2026

Colom is set to become the first Democratic senator from Mississippi in nearly 40 years, and first Black senator from the state since the Reconstruction era after the Civil War.

From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2026

There were stories of the Apache Wars in the Wild West, a new circus act called a flying trapeze, and Abraham Lincoln arguing that Kansas should be a free state and not slave.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Both are fundamental tools in quantum computing and require a computer to coordinate multiple quantum states with considerable precision.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 12, 2026

He named them as Antonio Costa, head of the European Council representing EU member states, and top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas because "she has the role to represent us in the matters of foreign affairs".

From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2026

Quantum computers take advantage of unusual properties of quantum physics, including superposition, which allows quantum systems to exist in combinations of different states, and entanglement, which creates powerful connections between quantum states.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 12, 2026

Other states do count votes and call elections faster than California, though California officials say that is for several reasons.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2026

In seven states, thousands of Americans stood weeping on riverbanks and train depots, hats in hands, hands over hearts.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Another release stated that two-thirds to more than three-quarters of PE-backed physicians reported improved patient access, positive or no impact on interactions with patients, and expanded-care options.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026

Bukele initially stated the deployment aimed at bringing home four Salvadoran GSF soldiers who went missing during an ambush attack on October 18.

From Barron's ● Nov. 10, 2026

"Work is underway to locate and secure assets abroad, in order to repatriate them and compensate the victims," a press release stated.

From Barron's ● Nov. 9, 2026

At the time, the chef had stated that any direction from management "need not be followed when it is offensive to his culture".

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

The Boston Courier’s official report stated, “with every opportunity, means and motive to do their best, the spiritualists actually did nothing …” and proudly announced, “So ends this ridiculous and infamous imposture.”

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

However, that information was subsequently retracted via an email stating that some pricing details were wrong, though without specifics about which part was inaccurate, the report said.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 10, 2026

She sent a Snapchat to Daniels stating "we going to get attacked or what?"

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

For anyone whose daily commute takes them past local gas stations with placards stating their prices, the answer will be no surprise.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026

Banco Santander reiterated its full-year guidance, stating it is comfortably on track to meet its targets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

“That’s some serious security,” Rio said, stating the obvious.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

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Related Words

• affirm
• articulate
• describe
• explain
• expound
• express
• give
• present
• put
• say
• set forth
• speak
• specify
• tell
• voice

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