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nation definition

na·tion (nā′s̸hən)

noun

  1. a stable, historically developed community of people with a territory, economic life, distinctive culture, and language in common
  2. the people of a territory united under a single government; country
    1. a people or tribe; specif., a group of North American Indians, sometimes one belonging to a confederation
    2. ☆ the territory of a particular Indian people or peoples

Etymology: ME nacion < OFr < L natio < natus, born: see nature

Related Forms:

nation Idioms

the nations

  1. Bible the non-Jewish nations; Gentiles
  2. Old Poet. all the peoples of the earth
Nation definition

Na·tion (nā′s̸hən)

Nation, Carry (kar′ē) (born Carry Amelia Moore) 1846-1911; U.S. temperance leader

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

nation Synonyms

nation

n.

  1. An organized state

    realm, country, commonwealth, republic, democracy, state, monarchy, dominion, body politic, land, domain, empire, kingdom, principality, sovereignty, colony; see also government 1.

  2. A people having some unity

    nationality, populace, community, public; see population, race 2, society 2.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

nation Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • industrialize: For the first time for fifty years Britain has the lowest unemployment of any major industrialized nation.

Preposition: on

  • earth: During this period, Britain had become the richest nation on earth, whilst also finding itself embroiled in the Boer War.

Adjective modifier

  • sovereign: In a nutshell, he suggests that war against Iraq is another nail in the coffin of the sovereign nation.

Modifies a noun

  • state: Nation states grew into empires, with ever more power concentrated in ever fewer hands.

Noun used with modifier

  • footballing: Switzerland rounded off their pre-World Cup preparations with a 4-1 win against upcoming footballing nation China in Zurich.

Possessives

  • heritage: The Government believes that this represents a considerable loss to the nation's heritage.

Preposition: of

  • shopkeeper: Napoleon called Britain ' the vampire of the north ' and ' that nation of shopkeepers ' .
nation usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

nation quotes

   We British are an aggressive nation.We seem to have become more violent this last decade: look how we drive fast and furious, with fists clenched; listen, at the stadiums, how the crowds shout,'Kick his fuckin' head in,'or to the sirens of police cars and ambulances in the shoddy streets of Brixton or Liverpool.

-Abse, Dannie

With a nation, as with a boxer, one of the greatest assurances of safety is to add reach to power.

-Acheson, Dean Gooderham

We must free ourselves from thinking in terms of nation states.The countries of westernEuropeareno longer ina position to protect themselves individually. Not one of them is any longer in a position to salvage Europe's culture.

-Adenauer, Konrad

nation quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"nation." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/nation>

APA Style

nation. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/nation

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