nation-state

== English == === Alternative forms === nation state === Etymology === Compound of nation +‎ state. Coined c. 1890s under the influence of European languages; compare German Nationalstaat (from 1840s), Italian Stato-nazione (from 1860s). === Pronunciation === === Noun === nation-state (plural nation-states) (politics) A political entity (a state) associated with a common national identity (historically, culturally, or ethnically; as with a nation) and a sovereign territorial unit. Coordinate terms: ethnostate, civilization-state (more generally, proscribed) Any independent political state; a country. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === References === “nation-state, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.