1
a(1)
: nationality sense 5a
three Slav peoples … forged into a Yugoslavia without really fusing into a Yugoslav nation—
Hans Kohn
Hans Kohn
(2)
: a politically organized nationality
(3)
in the Bible
: a non-Jewish nationality
why do the nations conspire—Psalms 2:1 (Revised Standard Version)
Psalms 2:1 (Revised Standard Version)
b
: a community of people composed of one or more nationalities and possessing a more or less defined territory and government
Canada is a nation with a written constitution—B. K. Sandwell
B. K. Sandwell
c
: a territorial division containing a body of people of one or more nationalities and usually characterized by relatively large size and independent status
a nation of vast size with a small population—Mary K. Hammond
Mary K. Hammond2
archaic
: group, aggregation
3
: a tribe or federation of tribes (as of American Indians)
the Seminole Nation in Oklahoma
Synonyms
Examples of nation in a Sentence
It's one of the richest nations in the world.
the largest state in the nation
The President will speak to the nation tonight.
The entire nation is celebrating the victory.
Recent Examples on the Web
Trump: Trading partners will pay NEW YORK -- President-elect Donald Trump's threat to impose new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China drew rebukes Tuesday from all three nations, who warned of the consequences of a trade war.
—Compiled Bydemocrat-Gazette Stafffrom Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 27 Nov. 2024
On the other hand, nations such as Saudi Arabia and Russia, whose economies are dependent on the fossil fuels that provide the ingredients for plastic, oppose mandatory caps on production, arguing instead for a focus on recycling and waste management.
—Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2024
Developing nations’ energy demand has essentially doubled during the last 15 years.
—Hersh Shefrin, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
More:Trump raked in big money from foreign nations.
—Michael Collins, USA TODAY, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nation 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Compiled Bydemocrat-Gazette Stafffrom Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 27 Nov. 2024
On the other hand, nations such as Saudi Arabia and Russia, whose economies are dependent on the fossil fuels that provide the ingredients for plastic, oppose mandatory caps on production, arguing instead for a focus on recycling and waste management.
—Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2024
Developing nations’ energy demand has essentially doubled during the last 15 years.
—Hersh Shefrin, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
More:Trump raked in big money from foreign nations.
—Michael Collins, USA TODAY, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nation
Articles Related to nation
Dictionary Entries Near nation
Cite this Entry
“Nation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nation. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nation
noun
na·tion
ˈnā-shən 
2
: a community of people composed of one or more nationalities usually with its own territory and government
3
: the territory of a nation
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