nation

noun

na·​tion ˈnā-shən 

plural nations

1

a(1)

: nationality sense 2b

… [three Slav peoples] … forged into a Yugoslavia without really fusing into a Yugoslav nation.

—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)

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

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

2

archaic : group, aggregation

3

: a tribe or federation of tribes (as of Indigenous peoples)

a member of the Cherokee Nation

the Seminole Nation in Oklahoma

Synonyms of nation

• state
• country
• commonwealth

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

The heavy burden on students is frequently blamed for poor mental health in the country, which had the highest suicide rate among OECD nations in 2020, the latest figures available. —Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025

Ecuadorian police said on Wednesday that Mario Pineida, a 33-year-old Barcelona de Guayaquil defender and former national team player, was shot dead in an apparent attack as violence escalates in the Andean nation. —CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025

The White House added the popular Caribbean countries of Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica to its travel ban this week restricting the entry of citizens from select foreign nations. —Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 18 Dec. 2025

The story of America and Vietnam is the story of a nation coming to terms with its inability to use power for good. —Literary Hub, 18 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English nacioun, from Anglo-French naciun, from Latin nation-, natio birth, race, nation, from nasci to be born; akin to Latin gignere to beget — more at kin

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Phrases Containing nation

• nation-state
• the nation

Rhymes for nation

• cation
• dation
• haitian
• lation
• station
• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation

Kids Definition

nation

noun

na·​tion ˈnā-shən 

1

: nationality sense 3

2

: a community of people composed of one or more nationalities usually with its own territory and government

3

: the territory of a nation

Biographical Definition

Nation

biographical name

Na·​tion ˈnā-shən 

Car*ry ˈker-ē 

ˈka-rē

Amelia 1846–1911 née Moore American temperance agitator