country

== English == === Alternative forms === contree, countrey (archaic) contrey, countre, countrie, counterie (obsolete) counthry (pronunciation spelling) cuntry (eye dialect, derogatory) === Etymology === Inherited from Middle English contre, borrowed from Old French contree, from Vulgar Latin *(terra) contrāta (“facing land”), from Latin contrā (“against”) + -āta (noun-forming suffix). Cognate with Scots kintra. Unrelated to county. Displaced native English land in some of its senses. From around 1300 as "area surrounding a walled city or town; the open country." By early 16th century the sense was applied mostly to rural areas, as opposed to towns and cities. Compare typologically Russian страна́ (straná), сторона́ (storoná). === Pronunciation === enPR: kŭn'tri (Received Pronunciation, US, Canada) IPA(key): /ˈkʌntɹi/, [ˈkʰʌnt̠ɹ̠̊˔ʷi] (Standard Southern British) IPA(key): /ˈkʌntɹɪj/ (Northern England, Midlands) IPA(key): /ˈkʊntɹi/ (Scotland) IPA(key): /ˈkʌntɾe/, /-tɾɪ/, /-tɾi/ (Wales) IPA(key): /ˈkʌntɾi/ (Australian, New Zealand) IPA(key): /ˈkɐntɹi/ (South Asia) IPA(key): /ˈkən.ʈri/, [kɐn.t̺riˑ] Rhymes: -ʌntɹi (common for ESL speakers, proscribed) enPR: koun'tri, IPA(key): /ˈkaʊntɹi/ Rhymes: -aʊntɹi Hyphenation: coun‧try === Noun === country (countable and uncountable, plural countries) The territory of a nation; a sovereign state or a region once independent and still distinct in institutions, language, etc. [from 14th c.] Synonyms: see Thesaurus:country Hyponyms: LMIC, HIC, developing country, developed country, member country, mini-country, old country; see also Thesaurus:country 2010, The Economist, 3 Feb 2011: These days corporate Germany looks rather different. Volkswagen, the country’s leading carmaker, wants to be the world’s biggest by 2018. (especially UK, uncountable, countable) An area of land of undefined extent; a region, a district. [from 13th c.] (uncountable, countable) An area of land of indefinite extent or of more or less definite extent in relation to human occupation, especially characterized by its particular physical features, or its suitability for a particular activity or connected with its population (by race, dialect, culture, etc.) or a person, especially a writer, or their works. Hyponyms: backcountry, high country, north country, upcountry Thomas Hardy country (uncountable, usually preceded by “the”) A rural area, as opposed to a town or city; the countryside. [from 16th c.] The inhabitants or people of a district, region, or nation; the populace, the public. [from ca. 1300] (Australia, usually capitalised) Traditional lands of Indigenous people with embedded cultural, spiritual, cosmological, ecological, and physical attributes and values. Ellipsis of country music. [from 20th c.] (informal) The spirit of the country (rural places): the spirit of country folkways; those folkways. (mining) The rock through which a vein of ore or coal runs. Coordinate terms: gangue, overburden ==== Usage notes ==== The geographical sense of "country" usually refers to a sovereign state, that is, a nation with no administrative dependence on another one, which is the definition adopted in most world maps. In a broader sense, however, "country" may also refer to polities, or their territories, with some degree of autonomy and cultural identity but still under the sovereignty of another state. Examples of the latter include Scotland, Tibet, Abkhazia, and Greenland. Such usage may be interpreted as supporting secessionism of these polities by others. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== Appendix:Countries of the world === Adjective === country (comparative countrier or more country, superlative countriest or most country) From or in the countryside, connected with it, or typical of it. Of or connected to country music. (India) Originating in India rather than being imported from abroad. Synonym: native ==== Related terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === References === country in Keywords for Today: A 21st Century Vocabulary, edited by The Keywords Project, Colin MacCabe, Holly Yanacek, 2018. Raymond Williams (1983), “Country”, in Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society, revised American edition, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, published 1985, →ISBN, page 81. “country” in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman: “an area of land that is suitable for a particular activity, has particular features, or is connected with a particular person or people”. “country”, in Oxford Languages, Oxford University Press: “an area or region with regard to its physical features. [...] a region associated with a particular person, especially a writer, or with a particular work.” “country, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000. “country, n.”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC: “The inhabitants or people of a state or a region; the populace; the public.” William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin Eli Smith, editors (1895–1910), “country”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC. === Further reading === “country”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. == Basque == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /kau̯ntri/ [kãũ̯n̪.t̪ri] Rhymes: -au̯ntri, -i === Noun === country inan country music ==== Declension ==== === Further reading === “country”, in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy] (in Basque), Euskaltzaindia [Royal Academy of the Basque Language] == Danish == === Etymology === From English country. First attested in 1969. === Noun === country c (singular definite countryen, not used in plural form) (music) country, country music Synonyms: countrymusik, country og western ==== Declension ==== ==== Derived terms ==== countrysanger === Further reading === “country” in Den Danske Ordbog == Dutch == === Etymology === Borrowed from English country. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈkʏn.tri/, /kɑu̯n.tri/ Hyphenation: coun‧try === Noun === country m (uncountable, no diminutive) country music Synonym: countrymuziek ==== Derived terms ==== === References === van der Sijs, Nicoline, editor (2010), “country”, in Etymologiebank, Meertens Institute == Finnish == === Alternative forms === kantri === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English country. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈkɑntri/, [ˈkɑ̝n̪.t̪ri] Rhymes: -ɑntri === Noun === country country music ==== Declension ==== ==== Synonyms ==== countrymusiikki kantrimusiikki ==== Derived terms ==== === Further reading === “country”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎[6] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2 July 2023 == French == === Etymology === From English. Doublet of contrée. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /kœ̃.tʁi/ === Noun === country m (uncountable) country music == Italian == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English country. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈkawn.tri/, (careful style) /ˈkan.tri/ Rhymes: -awntri, (careful style) -antri === Noun === country m (invariable) (music) country music === References === == Polish == === Etymology === Pseudo-anglicism, derived from country music. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈkan.trɘ/ Rhymes: -antrɘ Syllabification: coun‧try === Noun === country n (indeclinable) country, country music ==== Derived terms ==== === Further reading === “country”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎[7] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN “country”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎[8] (in Polish) == Portuguese == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English country. The pronunciation reflects the incorrect belief that the ⟨oun⟩ represents /aʊn/ in the English etymon. === Pronunciation === === Noun === country m (uncountable) country music === Further reading === “country”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026 “country”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026 == Romanian == === Alternative forms === кантри (cantri) — post-1930s Cyrillic spelling === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English country. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈkan.tri/ Rhymes: -antri Hyphenation: coun‧try === Adjective === country m or n (feminine singular countryă, masculine plural countryi, feminine/neuter plural countrye) country (music) ==== Declension ==== === Further reading === “country”, in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language) (in Romanian), 2004–2026 == Spanish == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English country. Doublet of contrada. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈkantɾi/ [ˈkãn̪.t̪ɾi], /ˈkontɾi/ [ˈkõn̪.t̪ɾi] Rhymes: -antɾi, -ontɾi IPA(key): /ˈkowntɾi/ [ˈkown̪.t̪ɾi], /kownˈtɾi/ [kown̪ˈt̪ɾi] Rhymes: -owntɾi, -i Syllabification: coun‧try === Noun === country m (uncountable) country music ==== Usage notes ==== According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed. === Further reading === “country”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025 == Swedish == === Etymology === Borrowed from English country. First attested in 1965. === Noun === country c (uncountable) (music) country, country music Synonym: countrymusik ==== Declension ==== === Further reading === “country”, in Svenska Akademiens ordböcker [Dictionaries of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)