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state Definition

state (stāt)

noun

  1. a set of circumstances or attributes characterizing a person or thing at a given time; way or form of being; condition a state of poverty
  2. a particular mental or emotional condition a state of bliss
  3. condition as regards physical structure, constitution, internal form, stage or phase of existence, etc. liquid state
    1. condition or position in life; social status, rank, or degree
    2. high rank or position
    3. the style of living characteristic of people having high rank and wealth; rich, imposing, ceremonious display drove up in state
    1. the power or authority represented by a body of people politically organized under one government, esp. an independent government, within a territory or territories having definite boundaries
    2. such a body of people; body politic
  6. ☆ any of the territorial and political units that together constitute a federal government, as in the U.S.
  7. ☆ the territory of a state (senses & )
  8. the political organization constituting the basis of civil government church and state
  9. the sphere of highest governmental authority and administration matters of state
  10. foreign policy

Etymology: ME < OFr & L: OFr estat < L status, state, position, standing < pp. of stare, to stand

adjective

  1. of, for, or characteristic of occasions of great ceremony; formal; ceremonial
  2. of or controlled, maintained, etc. by the government or a state

transitive verb stat′ed, stat′·ing

  1. to fix or establish by specifying at the stated hour
    1. to set forth in words, esp. in a specific, definite, or formal way to state one's objectives
    2. to express or present in a nonverbal way to state a musical theme in the first three measures

state Related Forms

stat′·able adjective

state Idioms

in a state

or into a state

Informal in (or into) a condition of agitation or excitement

lie in state

to be displayed formally to the public before burial

the States

the United States

state Synonyms

state

n.

  1. A sovereign unit

    republic, land, kingdom; see country 3, nation 1.

  2. A condition

    circumstance, situation, welfare, phase, case, station, nature, estate, time, footing, status, standing, stipulation, proviso, contingency, juncture, occurrence, occasion, eventuality, element, prerequisite, imperative, essential, requirement, limitation, category, standing, reputation, environment, chances, outlook, position, event, accompaniment.

  3. A difficulty

    plight, pinch, quandary; see difficulty 1, predicament.

  4. Mood

    frame of mind, humor, disposition; see mood1.

state and condition both refer to the set of circumstances surrounding or characterizing a person or thing at a given time what is his mental state, or condition?, but condition more strongly implies some relationship to causes or circumstances that may be temporary his condition will not permit him to travel; situation implies a significant set of interrelated circumstances, and a connection between these and the person involved to be in a difficult situation; status refers to one's position as determined by legal or customary precedent or by such arbitrary factors as age, sex, training, mentality, service, etc. his status as a veteran exempts him

in a state

disturbed, upset, badly off; see confused, troubled 1, 2.

state Synonyms

state

v.

pronounce, assert, affirm; see declare 1, say.

state Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • affair: How is this state of affairs to be handled?
  • mind: The jury on the inquest returned a verdict of suicide while in an unsound state of mind.
  • consciousness: Each light body acts as abridge between the worlds and creates a personal connection to expanded states of consciousness.
  • art: Our state of the art labeling equipment can place up to 4 labels in a single process.
  • repair: There were 13 cottages here, and they had fallen into a very bad state of repair.
  • disrepair: However, the graveyard had fallen into a state of serious disrepair over the last few decades and has been closed since 1984.

Adjective modifier

  • current: The Campaign is about empowering them to change the current state of affairs.
  • sovereign: This is not a citizenship bequeathed to people by a sovereign state.
  • mental: The patients ' mental state was not improved in either the placebo or the treatment group after 12 weeks.
  • federal: He told the Senate panel that coordination among federal, state and local officials was lacking at the Atlanta Olympics.
  • emotional: However ideally, a google map overlay could be created to indicate the current emotional state of, say, each individual county.

Modifies a noun

  • pension: State pensions are financed from the taxation of today's workers.
  • legislature: Quot we haven't state legislature passed these should also.

Noun used with modifier

  • welfare: The chancellor's reforms are part of an adaptation to the declining competence of the welfare state, which other European countries may follow.
  • member: The EU should require member states to take adequate actions.
  • nation: Nation states grew into empires, with ever more power concentrated in ever fewer hands.
  • nuclear-weapon: China holds that such a treaty will help to promote mutual trust among nuclear-weapon States and further reduce the danger of nuclear war.
  • contracting: The Convention shall remain in force for the other Contracting States.
  • transition: Transition state analogs of the postulated b -keto acid intermediate bind tightly to the enzyme and inhibit its activity.