State — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈstāt/

Meaning & Definition of State

State (noun)

  1. mode or condition of being
  2. condition of mind or temperament
  3. a condition of abnormal tension or excitement

State (verb)

  1. to express the particulars of especially in words, report; broadly, to express in words
  2. to set by regulation or authority

State (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a body of people composed of one or more nationalities usually with its own territory and government

    "the British monarch is the head of state, while the prime minister is the head of the government"

    similar: commonwealth, country, land, nation, sovereignty
    related: city-state, microstate, ministate, nation-state, domain, dominion, empire, kingdom, realm, republic, duchy, dukedom, emirate, principality, seigniory, sultanate, democracy, dictatorship, monarchy, monocracy, oligarchy, sovereign, theocracy, client state, colony, condominium, dependency, mandate, province, settlement, soil, trust territory, fatherland, homeland, motherland, great power, power, sea power, superpower, world power, welfare state

  2. high position within society

    "Sir Thomas More was accorded an execution befitting his state: a beheading and not the hanging that common criminals received"

    similar: class, dignity, fashion, quality, rank, standing
    related: gentility, gentleness, nobility, nobleness, grandness, highness, loftiness, distinction, dominance, precedence, preeminence, primacy, superiority, caste, station, status, preferment
    near: debasement, degradation, subordinateness, subordination, baseness, commonness, inferiority, lowliness, lowness

State (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to convey in appropriate or telling terms

    "please state the vehicle's mechanical problem as clearly and briefly as possible"

    similar: articulate, clothe, couch, express, formulate, phrase, put, say, word
    related: craft, frame, hint, imply, insinuate, intimate, suggest, paraphrase, rephrase, restate, reword, summarize, translate, communicate, disclose, speak, talk, tell, utter, verbalize, vocalize, describe, render, write up

  2. to express (a thought or emotion) in words

    "I believe this theory is wrong, she stated"

    similar: articulate, bring out, enunciate, pass, say, speak, talk, tell, utter, verbalize, vocalize, put into words
    related: air, discuss, give, look, share, sound, vent, ventilate, voice, blabber, bolt, blurt, get off, shoot, advertise, announce, blaze, broadcast, declare, post, proclaim, promulgate, publicize, publish, affirm, allege, assert, aver, avouch, avow, breathe, chirp, drawl, gasp, lip, mouth, murmur, purr, shout, splutter, spout, whisper, clothe, couch, formulate, formulize, phrase, put, word, comment, pipe up (with), remark, rip (out), snarl
    near: stifle, suppress

  3. to make known (as an idea, emotion, or opinion)

    "everyone has a right to state his or her opinion, no matter how unpopular it may be"

    similar: air, expound, express, give, look, raise, sound, vent, ventilate, voice, give air to, put forth
    related: advertise, announce, declare, enounce, enunciate, proclaim, say, broadcast, circulate, disseminate, publish, describe, write, write up, sound off, speak out, speak up, chime in, communicate, convey, put across, put over, offer, submit
    opposite: stifle, suppress
    near: censor, restrain, restrict

Related Entry: State-of-the-art (adjective)

State-of-the-art is a different word from State. The synonyms below are for state-of-the-art, not for state.

  1. being or employing the latest concepts, styles, or techniques

    "a medical center that prides itself on being a leader in state-of-the-art microsurgery"

    similar: advanced, avant, avant-garde, cutting-edge, progressive
    related: pioneering, revolutionary, trailblazing, alternative, antiestablishment, nontraditional, unconventional, underground, bizarre, far-out, outré, way-out, fresh, new, novel, original, strange, unaccustomed, unfamiliar, unheard-of, unknown, unprecedented, contemporary, current, hot, mod, modern, modernistic, newfangled, new-fashioned, present-day, red-hot, space-age, ultramodern, up-to-date
    near: conventional, customary, established, orthodox, traditional

  2. being or involving the latest methods, concepts, information, or styles

    "he spent a boatload of money on a state-of-the-art home theater"

    similar: contemporary, current, designer, hot, mod, modern, modernistic, new, new age, new-fashioned, newfangled, present-day, red-hot, space-age, ultramodern, up-to-date, up-to-the-minute
    related: fashionable, happening, in, modish, nouvelle, now, stylish, last, latest, modernized, updated, futuristic, high-tech, latter-day, recent
    opposite: antiquated, archaic, dated, fusty, musty, oldfangled, old-fashioned, old-time, out-of-date, passé
    near: anachronistic, aged, age-old, ancient, antediluvian, hoary, old, venerable, bygone, former, late, olden, past, antique, historic, historical, retro, retrograde, kaput, obsolete, outmoded, outworn, unmodernized, old-world, discarded, disused, moth-eaten, forgotten, remote, ageless, dateless, timeless

Related Entry: State aid (noun)

State aid is a different word from State. The synonyms below are for state aid, not for state.

  1. as in relief, foreign aid

    similar: foreign aid, relief, aid, assistance, block grant, grant-in-aid, set-aside, advance, allowance, benefit, bequest, endowment, fund, legacy, stipend, trust, trust fund, allocation, allotment, annuity, appropriation, entitlement, grant, subsidy, subvention

Related Entry: State aids (noun)

State aids is a different word from State. The synonyms below are for state aids, not for state.

  1. as in reliefs, foreign aids

    similar: foreign aids, reliefs, aids, assistances, block grants, grants-in-aid, set-asides, advances, allowances, benefits, bequests, endowments, funds, legacies, stipends, trust funds, trusts, allocations, allotments, annuities, appropriations, entitlements, grants, subsidies, subventions

Related Entry: State's evidence (noun)

State's evidence is a different word from State. The synonyms below are for state's evidence, not for state.

  1. as in evidence

    similar: evidence, collaborationist, collaborator, informant, informer, companion, comrade, crony, henchman, partner, abettor, accessory, accomplice, cohort, confederate, conspirator, plotter, traitor, gangster, mobster, racketeer

Related Entry: State's evidences (noun)

State's evidences is a different word from State. The synonyms below are for state's evidences, not for state.

  1. as in evidences

    similar: evidences, collaborationists, collaborators, informants, informers, companions, comrades, cronies, henchmen, partners, abettors, accessories, accomplices, cohorts, confederates, conspirators, plotters, traitors, gangsters, mobsters, racketeers

Related Entry: City-state (noun)

City-state is a different word from State. The synonyms below are for city-state, not for state.

  1. a state that has its own government and consists of a city and the area around it

    "the city-states of ancient Greece"

    similar: microstate, ministate, nation-state, commonwealth, country, land, nation, sovereignty, domain, dominion, empire, kingdom, realm, republic, duchy, dukedom, emirate, principality, seigniory, sultanate, democracy, dictatorship, monarchy, monocracy, oligarchy, sovereign, theocracy, client state, colony, condominium, dependency, mandate, province, settlement, soil, trust territory, fatherland, homeland, motherland, great power, power, sea power, superpower, world power, welfare state

Related Entry: Nation-state (noun)

Nation-state is a different word from State. The synonyms below are for nation-state, not for state.

  1. a form of political organization in which a group of people who share the same history, traditions, or language live in a particular area under one government

    "the rise of European nation-states in the thirteenth century"

    similar: city-state, microstate, ministate, commonwealth, country, land, nation, sovereignty, state, domain, dominion, empire, kingdom, realm, republic, duchy, dukedom, emirate, principality, seigniory, sultanate, democracy, dictatorship, monarchy, monocracy, oligarchy, sovereign, theocracy, client state, colony, condominium, dependency, mandate, province, settlement, soil, trust territory, fatherland, homeland, motherland, great power, power, sea power, superpower, world power, welfare state

Related Entry: Client state (noun)

Client state is a different word from State. The synonyms below are for client state, not for state.

  1. as in settlement, trust territory

    similar: colony, condominium, dependency, mandate, province, settlement, soil, trust territory, democracy, dictatorship, monarchy, monocracy, oligarchy, sovereign, theocracy, fatherland, homeland, motherland, duchy, dukedom, emirate, principality, seigniory, sultanate, great power, power, sea power, superpower, world power, domain, dominion, empire, kingdom, realm, republic, welfare state, city-state, microstate, ministate, nation-state, commonwealth, country, land, nation, sovereignty, state

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for State

The most common words with a similar meaning to State:

commonwealth, country, land, nation, sovereignty, class, dignity, fashion, quality, rank, standing, articulate, clothe, couch, express, formulate, phrase, put, say, word, bring out, enunciate, pass, speak, talk, tell, utter, verbalize, vocalize, air, expound, give, look, raise, sound, vent, ventilate, voice, put into words, give air to

Antonyms & Opposite Words for State

Words with the opposite meaning of State:

stifle, suppress

Related Words for State

city-state, microstate, ministate, nation-state, domain, dominion, empire, kingdom, realm, republic, duchy, dukedom, emirate, principality, seigniory, sultanate, democracy, dictatorship, monarchy, monocracy, oligarchy, sovereign, theocracy, client state, colony, condominium, dependency, mandate, province, settlement

Near Antonyms of State

debasement, degradation, subordinateness, subordination, baseness, commonness, inferiority, lowliness, lowness, censor, restrain, restrict

Word Forms of State

Inflections: stated, stating

Derived words: statable (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of State

Middle English stat, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French estat, from Latin status, from stare to stand stand

First known use: 13th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for State

Words & Phrases Containing State

state aid, state bank, state bird, state capitalism, state church, state college, state flower, state of the art

Frequently Asked Questions about State

What does "State" mean?

"State" means mode or condition of being. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: mode or condition of being. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "State"?

Other words for "State" include commonwealth, country, land, nation, sovereignty, class, dignity and fashion. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "State" you intend.

What are different ways to say "State"?

There are 171 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "State". Common alternatives include commonwealth, country, land, nation, sovereignty, class, dignity, fashion, quality and rank.

What is the opposite of "State"?

Antonyms of "State" include stifle and suppress. Near antonyms include debasement, degradation, subordinateness and subordination.

How do you use "State" in a sentence?

Examples of "State" in a sentence: "the British monarch is the head of state, while the prime minister is the head of the government"; "Sir Thomas More was accorded an execution befitting his state: a beheading and not the hanging that common criminals received"; "please state the vehicle's mechanical problem as clearly and briefly as possible".

Is "State" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"State" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "State" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "State" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "State"?

"State" is pronounced /ˈstāt/.