nation

¹

[ney-shuhn]

noun

1. a large body of people, associated with a particular territory, that is sufficiently conscious of its unity to seek or to possess a government peculiarly its own.

   The president spoke to the nation about the new tax.

2. the territory or country itself.

   the nations of Central America.

   Synonyms: realm, kingdom, commonwealth, state

3. a member tribe of an American Indian confederation.

4. an aggregation of persons of the same ethnic family, often speaking the same language or cognate languages.

Nation

²

[ney-shuhn]

noun

1. Carry or Carrie (Amelia Moore), 1846–1911, U.S. temperance leader.

nation

/ ˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. an aggregation of people or peoples of one or more cultures, races, etc, organized into a single state

   the Australian nation

2. a community of persons not constituting a state but bound by common descent, language, history, etc

   the French-Canadian nation

3. 1. a federation of tribes, esp American Indians

   2. the territory occupied by such a federation

Other Word Forms

• nationhood noun
• nationless adjective
• internation adjective
• minination noun
• supernation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of nation¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Latin nātiōn- (stem of nātiō ) “birth, tribe,” equivalent to nāt(us) (past participle of nāscī “to be born”) + -iōn- -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of nation¹

C13: via Old French from Latin nātiō birth, tribe, from nascī to be born

Synonym Study

See race ².

Example Sentences

But it was a battle of wills and economic pain set the two nations on a path that ultimately led to Thursday's meeting and an agreement on both sides to de-escalate.

Read more on BBC

This week also marks the first missed paycheck for the nation’s air-traffic controllers, while Transportation Security Administration employees, including airport screeners, are also going without pay.

Read more on MarketWatch

Some delegations have struggled to secure accommodation, leading to concerns that poorer nations could be priced out.

Read more on BBC

The technology is also coveted by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, whose rogue nation is building a nuclear-powered sub and may be getting technical help from Russia, Seoul officials say.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Both nations suspended recent measures, including changes to the U.S.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• community 
• democracy 
• people 
• population 
• public 
• society 
• state 
• tribe 
• union