nation
Use Nation in a sentence
ʃən noun
1.
a large body of people, associated with a particular territory, that is sufficiently conscious of its unity to seek or to possess a government peculiarly its own: The president spoke to the nation about the new tax.
2.
the territory or country itself: the nations of Central America.
3.
a member tribe of an American Indian confederation.
4.
an aggregation of persons of the same ethnic family, often speaking the same language or cognate languages.
Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English < Latin nātiōn- (stem of nātiō) birth, tribe, equivalent to nāt(us) (past participle of nāscī to be born) + -iōn- -ion
1250–1300; Middle English < Latin nātiōn- (stem of nātiō) birth, tribe, equivalent to nāt(us) (past participle of nāscī to be born) + -iōn- -ion
Related forms
na·tion·hood, noun
na·tion·less, adjective
in·ter·na·tion, adjective
min·i·na·tion, noun
su·per·na·tion, noun
00:10
Nation
is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To Nation
Collins
World English Dictionary
nation (ˈneɪʃən) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | an aggregation of people or peoples of one or more cultures, races, etc, organized into a single state: the Australian nation |
| 2. | a community of persons not constituting a state but bound by common descent, language, history, etc: the French-Canadian nation |
| 3. | a. a federation of tribes, esp American Indians |
| b. the territory occupied by such a federation | |
| [C13: via Old French from Latin nātiō birth, tribe, from nascī to be born] | |
| 'nationhood | |
| —n | |
| 'nationless | |
| —adj | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
nation
c.1300, from O.Fr. nacion, from L. nationem (nom. natio) "nation, stock, race," lit. "that which has been born," from natus, pp. of nasci "be born" (Old L. gnasci; see genus). Political sense has gradually taken over from racial meaning "large group of people with common ancestry."
Older sense preserved in application to N.Amer. Indian peoples (1640s). Nation-building first attested 1907 (implied in nation-builder).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences from the web
The finest of the nation she threw into dungeons or drove into exile.
Mentioned in the sonic youth song trilogy from the album daydream nation.
Spiritual authority to me and secular to him, over the nation free and united.
Breach of trust how the warren commission failed the nation and why.
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