stateless

American  

[steyt-lis] / ˈsteɪt lɪs /

adjective

1. lacking nationality.

2. Finance. of, relating to, or consisting of any currency deposited in banks outside the country of original issue.

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stateless British  

/ ˈsteɪtlɪs /

adjective

1. without nationality

   stateless persons

2. without a state or states

3. without ceremonial dignity

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• statelessness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of stateless

First recorded in 1600–10; state + -less

Example Sentences

And so he is essentially stateless, surviving on savings he accumulated as a truck driver in California.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026

But despite that ruling, his official status continued to be listed as Nigerian, preventing him from being formally recognised as stateless under UK law.

From BBC • Feb. 21, 2026

Under customary international law and the Law of the Sea Treaty, which our allies have ratified, stateless vessels may be boarded without violating a flag state’s rights.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 2026

In Narva, around half of all residents are Estonian, a third hold Russian citizenship, and roughly 7,000 people are stateless.

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

Homeless, stateless, in yet another camp, we could have felt defeated, but Wetzlar was very different from the camps during the war.

From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson