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nation-building

British

noun

the advocacy of national solidarity in South Africa in the post-apartheid era

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

“There was a lot of nation-building happening during World War II,” said Ujammiugaq Engell, leader of Nuuk Local Museum.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

"We will join the nation-building effort led by Tarique Rahman," Md Fazlur Rahman, 45, told AFP.

From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026

Dubbed the One Canadian Economy Act, it has been touted as a "nation-building" law at a time when the country is involved in a costly trade war with the United States.

From BBC • Jul. 16, 2025

At the founding, and the court endorsed a regime of nation-building in which the mix between government and markets supported an emerging economic nation.

From Slate • May 30, 2024

No wonder that their work in nation-building has endured, while their sentiments in religion are scattered to the winds.

From Winds Of Doctrine Studies in Contemporary Opinion by Santayana, George

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023