English Explanatory Dictionary

nation-state

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A political entity (a state) associated with a common national identity (historically, culturally, or ethnically; as with a nation) and a sovereign territorial unit.
  2. Any independent political state; a country.

Word forms

nation-state nation-states nation state

Etymology

Compound of nation + state. Coined c. 1890s under the influence of European languages; compare German Nationalstaat (from 1840s), Italian Stato-nazione (from 1860s).

Derived words

aspirant nation-state
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