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

While pioneers like Jane Couch, the first licensed female boxer in the United Kingdon, fought to make women's boxing visible, Braekhus carved a different path - she brought the sport back to an entire nation.

From BBC

As a nation that has been heavily dependent on oil, Saudi Arabia is working to diversify itself economically, socially and culturally.

From BBC

She called it a reflection of the nation.

From Los Angeles Times

As a nation of consumers, Americans have always fought with our wallets.

From Salon

The legal drama generated global attention and offered a graphic and often violent glimpse into the life of one of the nation’s most powerful music figures and his nearly billion-dollar enterprise.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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