State
|state|
/steɪt/
(state)
condition or position
Etymology
'state' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'status', where 'stare' meant 'to stand' and 'status' meant 'condition, position'.
'state' passed into Old French as 'estat' (or Anglo-French 'estat') and then into Middle English as 'state'/'stat', eventually becoming the modern English 'state'.
Initially, it meant 'standing, condition or position'; over time it broadened to include 'political organization or government' as well as the more general sense of 'condition' used today.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a politically organized body of people under a government; a nation or country.
The State declared a new foreign policy.
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Noun 2
a particular condition, situation, or mode of being (physical, mental, or situational).
She was in a State of shock after hearing the news.
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Noun 3
the government or governing institutions collectively (often contrasted with society or the individual).
The State intervened in the economy to stabilize prices.
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Noun 4
a federated division within a country (especially in the United States, Australia, etc.).
California is a State on the west coast of the U.S.
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Noun 5
a particular configuration or condition of a system (technical/computing/scientific).
After rebooting, the machine returned to its initial State.
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Last updated: 2025/09/02 05:51