city-state

noun

Definition of city-statenext
as in republic
a state that has its own government and consists of a city and the area around it the city-states of ancient Greece

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of city-state This story covers a range of topics, including mall redevelopment, mansion sales, unaffordable housing and city-state litigation. — Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 7 Aug. 2026 Just as oil money transformed and modernized the Gulf into city-states of gleaming skyscrapers, centuries of wine money have polished this rural corner of Burgundy into an agri-luxury oasis. — George Nelson For Artnews, Robb Report, 9 July 2026 The joint city-state Bus Action Plan also commits the MTA to improving bus maintenance across the fleet. — Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 8 July 2026 Athens was a belligerent city-state that fell victim to its own aggressions. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for city-state
Recent Examples of Synonyms for city-state
  1. republic
  2. kingdom
  3. nation
  4. empire
  5. country
  6. duchy
  7. commonwealth
  8. principality
Noun
  • But Marxists who dreamed of a workers’ republic could not compete with the reformers in Congress who enacted such measures as a progressive income tax, antitrust legislation, and a ban on child labor.
    — Michael Kazin, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The bet is that people who see the working version of a republic, a free press, and a scientific community will want to build one at home.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of republic
Noun
  • At least 19 people have been killed, school classes have been canceled, and the disruption threatens the kingdom's ambitious plans to transform itself into a global hub for business, tourism and sports.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The framing of the war has also shifted, from a US conflict to the kingdom’s.
    — Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of kingdom
Noun
  • Mohave County, where Bullhead City is located, has higher poverty and unemployment rates than the state and nation, with a lower per-capita income, according to Census and state unemployment data.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
  • As reported, De Beers and the government of the Republic of Botswana have tapped the Olympic gold medal athlete Letsile Tebogo to promote the African nation as a heartland of natural diamonds, and to mark its 60 years of independence.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of nation
Noun
  • The industrialist Vincent Bolloré has assembled a vast media empire that includes CNews, a Fox News-style channel that has become an important platform for the nationalist right.
    — Nicholas Bequelin, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Back at The Pynk, Uncle Clifford (Nicco Annan) dreams of expanding her empire while Roulette breaks the club’s cardinal rule to build hers.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of empire
Noun
  • The 20 countries at greatest risk of a worsening humanitarian crisis, ranked by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) annually in our Emergency Watchlist, represent just 12% of the global population, but 90% of those in humanitarian need.
    — David Miliband, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Many other countries and even continents would kill to have this level of ingenuity on their shores.
    — Sarah Cannon, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of country
Noun
  • If Jeopardy asks about a European duchy, the European duchy is going to be Luxembourg.
    — Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Louise Haigh will take on the role of Chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, First Secretary of State and Cabinet Office Minister.
    — Callum Sutherland, Time, 20 July 2026
Definition of duchy
Noun
  • According to state data, fewer than 1% of the more than 1,100 measles cases in the commonwealth are people who are fully vaccinated.
    — Chris Hoffman, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Months later, in July 2025, Shapiro announced Amazon would invest $20 billion in an AI buildout in Pennsylvania, the largest capital investment in the commonwealth’s history.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of commonwealth
Noun
  • Fontvieille, Monaco Monaco has been home base for Verstappen since 2015, and for years the driver rented a high-end apartment in Fontvieille, the waterfront neighborhood tucked along the principality’s western edge.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 2 Oct. 2026
  • There was another hint — this one visible to more than just a select few people — when Mas and his Spanish team descended on another principality, Monaco, for the race’s start.
    — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of principality

Browse Nearby Words

city slickers
city-state
city-states
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Cite this Entry

“City-state.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/city-state. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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