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:
They added that "the presence of weapons outside state authority must be addressed... in line with timelines set by the government, in a manner that strengthens state sovereignty".
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
Her defence team on Tuesday argued the judge should dismiss her case but prosecutors said the state had "met its burden" in proving her guilt.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
He lists “five forces that have made the state such an inhospitable place for business.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
The state public health department will be required to accredit agents to certify food products as non-ultraprocessed no later than June 1, 2028.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
No matter what she thinks of anyone, or what her mental state is, she always thinks to offer cake and coffee.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Meteorologists also issued Polo-related warnings of heavy rain and flooding in parts of 10 US states including Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, some of which are experiencing drought.
From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026
The privately held company operates more than 400 locations across 10 states: California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Colorado, Idaho, Washington and Tennessee.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
And as farmers begin this year’s harvest and Northeast states prepare for winter, the demand for distillates will grow.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Many states offer grants, low-interest loans and/or assistance to help seniors upgrade and repair their homes.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
In 1863, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing enslaved people in the states that had rebelled.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
“The beach and Pacific Coast Highway were momentarily shut down while the ordnance was disposed of in place,” the post stated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
Karnofsky would go on to marry Amodei’s sister, Daniela, now president of Anthropic, in a ceremony with a wedding website that stated, “We are both excited about effective altruism.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
Memorials should in future be placed at the city's Nordfriedhof cemetery to make it "impossible to step directly onto the memorial elements", the motion stated.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
"I have never met or spoken to Mr Carter. Mr Carter never engaged in any inappropriate conduct towards me," the woman stated in the latest court document.
From Barron's ● Sep. 25, 2026
Scores of letters were sent to the White House and the Justice Department demanding his arrest; many of them stated it was long overdue.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
"I am writing to inform the parties that Justice Alito has determined that he will not continue to participate in this case," the clerk said, without stating a reason.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
Backers say it closes a loophole in existing law by stating that animals seized by police officers or animal control officers without a warrant can be deemed abandoned after a 14-day period.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2026
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
I admire Lee for knowing exactly where he stands and stating it clearly, without jargon.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
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.
