1
a(1)
: nationality sense 5a
three Slav peoples … forged into a Yugoslavia without really fusing into a Yugoslav nation—
Hans Kohn
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)
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
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
Mary K. Hammond2
archaic
: group, aggregation
3
: a tribe or federation of tribes (as of American Indians)
the Seminole Nation in Oklahoma
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
In many ways, this was par for the course for the senator from our nation’s geographically smallest state.
—Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
America is a nation shaped by political violence and steeped in its aftershocks.
—Eric Cortellessa, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
Support for Ukraine—through aid, diplomacy, or energy investment—signals not just solidarity with a nation under attack but a commitment to free peoples.
—Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
The president has faced legal challenges to his tariffs across a range of nations, claiming trade imbalances constitute a national emergency.
—Jason Lange, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nation
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
America is a nation shaped by political violence and steeped in its aftershocks.
—Eric Cortellessa, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
Support for Ukraine—through aid, diplomacy, or energy investment—signals not just solidarity with a nation under attack but a commitment to free peoples.
—Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
The president has faced legal challenges to his tariffs across a range of nations, claiming trade imbalances constitute a national emergency.
—Jason Lange, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nation
Cite this Entry
“Nation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nation. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nation
noun
na·tion
ˈnā-shən 
2
: a community of people composed of one or more nationalities usually with its own territory and government
3
: the territory of a nation
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