deep state
noun
plural deep states
: an alleged secret network of especially nonelected government officials and sometimes private entities (as in the financial services and defense industries) operating extralegally to influence and enact government policy
The power of the deep state comes from experience, knowledge, relationships, insight, craft, special skills, traditions, and shared values. Together, these purported attributes make nameless bureaucrats into a supergovernment that is accountable to no one. That is a scary prospect.—
David Rothkopf
David RothkopfWhat the archbishop suspected was a crime stage-managed by Turkey's "deep state"—an opaque underworld where powerful elements within the state, especially the military and security services, act in conjunction with violent extremist groups … as well as the apolitical criminal underworld, to undertake special, illegal operations in the political interest of the country's ruling elite.—John Eibner
John EibnerExamples of deep state in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Patel served in various roles in the first Trump administration and has received criticism for spreading conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election; the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot; and the idea of a deep state controlling the country.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 2 Apr. 2025
Trump has been an easy mark for both of them, having totally the idea of a deep state arrayed against him, and especially since Musk bankrolled his 2024 campaign while his tech-right ally—and Yarvin —Peter Thiel Vice President 's political ascent.
—Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025
He's found in Elon Musk the kind of person who has the drive, the toughness, the intelligence to really fundamentally take on the 'deep state' and change it in ways that would normally be unthinkable.
—Robert Costa, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2025
This step aims to promote a deep state of relaxation and help the stars envision the evening ahead, giving their complexions a moment of unconstricted calm before the whirlwind that awaits.
—Jessica Ourisman, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
We are surrounded by deep state deception, only the truth will bring us victory.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025
Those fired were not hidebound deep state bureaucrats merely slurping from the federal trough.
—Southern California News Group Editorial Board, Orlando Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2025
Aiming at the ‘deep state’ Project 2025, the latest in this series of blueprints for dramatic change, draws most deeply on two of those plans.
—Colin Gordon, The Conversation, 3 Feb. 2025
Americans see a broken federal government — but aren’t as concerned about the ‘deep state’
As Trump sweeps into his second term with promises to cut regulations and reduce the role of government bureaucrats, most Americans think the federal government has serious problems.
—Linley Sanders, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2025
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Jared Gans, The Hill, 2 Apr. 2025
Trump has been an easy mark for both of them, having totally the idea of a deep state arrayed against him, and especially since Musk bankrolled his 2024 campaign while his tech-right ally—and Yarvin —Peter Thiel Vice President 's political ascent.
—Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025
He's found in Elon Musk the kind of person who has the drive, the toughness, the intelligence to really fundamentally take on the 'deep state' and change it in ways that would normally be unthinkable.
—Robert Costa, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2025
This step aims to promote a deep state of relaxation and help the stars envision the evening ahead, giving their complexions a moment of unconstricted calm before the whirlwind that awaits.
—Jessica Ourisman, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
We are surrounded by deep state deception, only the truth will bring us victory.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025
Those fired were not hidebound deep state bureaucrats merely slurping from the federal trough.
—Southern California News Group Editorial Board, Orlando Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2025
Aiming at the ‘deep state’ Project 2025, the latest in this series of blueprints for dramatic change, draws most deeply on two of those plans.
—Colin Gordon, The Conversation, 3 Feb. 2025
Americans see a broken federal government — but aren’t as concerned about the ‘deep state’
As Trump sweeps into his second term with promises to cut regulations and reduce the role of government bureaucrats, most Americans think the federal government has serious problems.
—Linley Sanders, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deep state.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deep%20state. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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