countries

noun

plural of country
1
as in homes
the land of one's birth, residence, or citizenship a great love for my country

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in states
a body of people composed of one or more nationalities usually with its own territory and government usually in time of war, the whole country unites behind the president

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 countries Over the course of Exile, TV Rain’s studios as well as its various employees will be forced to move countries multiple times, everybody’s life and career atomized across the globe. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026 Another common argument is that single-payer systems are inherently inefficient, as evidenced ostensibly by long waits for treatment suffered by patients in single-payer countries such as Canada. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026 In April, China hosted talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in the western city of Urumqi to end fighting that erupted between the two countries in February and left hundreds dead. — ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026 Different countries, different generations, different personalities and genders, but goalkeepers tend to recognize something of themselves in one another. — Asli Pelit, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Many Indian and Nepali restaurants were reportedly forced to close after their owners — most of whom came from their native countries to seek business opportunities in Japan — said their visa renewals had been rejected. — Christine Miyawaki, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026 The Lifetimes Tour spanned 91 dates, 23 countries, and five continents, and marked Perry’s first official run in seven years. — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2026 Histoury is close to signing a contract with Herculaneum and making moves in other countries, including Egypt. — Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2026 Iceland is also a member of the Schengen Area, which allows passport-free travel between it and other participating European countries. — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for countries
  1. homes
  2. states
  3. homelands
  4. nations
Noun
  • Federal regulations limit conventional loan amounts to $832,750 in most areas or $1,249,125 or more for luxury properties or homes in expensive cities and states.
    — Dan Simms, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Red walls, heavy draperies with swags and fringe, and jacquard fabrics with gold accents could be found in many homes.
    — Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of homes
Noun
  • According to The New York Times, Meta and other tech companies, including YouTube, TikTok, and Snap, have thousands of cases open across multiple states that allege the platforms are addictive for children.
    — Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 2 Sep. 2026
  • But if the stay is lifted or overturned, USPS would require states to submit lists of mail ballot recipients and get approval for envelope and ballot designs with individualized barcodes.
    — Peter Weber, TheWeek, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of states
Noun
  • Ripped from their homelands, many were brutally beaten and forced to convert to Christianity.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • We've been reclaiming a lot of our ancestral homelands, our village site which is Verona Marina.
    — Carmela Karcher, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of homelands
Noun
  • Officials in nations that have traditionally had strong economic links with Iran have not heard much from the US this week.
    — Yash Roy, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Trump has made no secret of his intent to halt the advancing influence by both adversary nations into not only Venezuela, but throughout the Western hemisphere.
    — David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of nations

Browse Nearby Words

count (out)
countries
countrified
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Countries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/countries. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All