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
  • The vote comes as the small republic on NATO's eastern flank contends with growing concern about potential Russian aggression.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Yogyakarta is a rare thing, a sultan’s kingdom inside of a country that is otherwise a republic.
    — Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of republic
Noun
  • Samuel, or Samuil in Bulgarian, was a warrior emperor who battled the Byzantine Empire to expand his kingdom but was ultimately defeated and died shortly afterward in 1014.
    — COSTAS KANTOURIS, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
  • That has left the kingdom searching for friends beyond Washington, for allies ready to put rockets where the rhetoric is and assist in a fight Saudi Arabia considers existential.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of kingdom
Noun
  • Gone are the four nations, corresponding to the elements, who coexisted in harmony that was disrupted and then, episode by episode, restored.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Like many issues in public health, cost and red tape within the health care system are factors in our nation’s lack of progress.
    — Philip A. Chan, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of nation
Noun
  • The first two seasons chart the rise of legendary early 19th century Zulu King Shaka, his brilliant battlefield strategy and struggle to unite Zulu tribes under his empire.
    — Emily Longeretta, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Ultra’s contraptions are part of a growing robot empire taking over the country’s warehouse and logistics operations.
    — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of empire
Noun
  • These countries will face the costs of aging at much lower income levels than the advanced economies that aged before them, the report says, noting that in Europe, the same shift took several decades.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Some Southeast Asian countries are trying to leverage their strengths to capture more of the value chain.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 5 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
  • 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
  • Prosecutors for the commonwealth of Massachusetts must now decide whether to retry Clancy.
    — Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 18 Sep. 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 10 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on city-state

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about city-state

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