States — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb plural noun /ˈstāt/ (noun) /ˈstāts-ˈrī-tər/ (noun) /yu̇-ˈnī-təd-/ (noun)

Meaning & Definition of States

States (noun)

  1. mode or condition of being
  2. condition of mind or temperament
  3. a condition of abnormal tension or excitement
  4. a person who advocates strict interpretation of the U.S. constitutional guarantee of states' rights
  5. a federation of states especially when forming a nation in a usually specified territory

States (verb)

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

States (plural noun)

  1. the assembly of the three orders of clergy, nobility, and third estate in France before the French Revolution
  2. the legislature of the Netherlands from the 15th century to 1796
  3. the rights and powers held by a state, province, etc., that is a member of a federal union; especially, the rights and powers not expressly identified in the U.S. Constitution as belonging to the federal government and that therefore belong to the states

States (geographical name)

  1. the United States of America —a colloquial term
  2. association formed in 1991 by the former constituent republics of the Soviet Union except for Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia; Turkmenistan changed to associate member status in 2005.; Georgia withdrew in 2009.
  3. the 11 southern states of the United States during their secession from the United States between 1860 and 1865: South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee
  4. former British protectorate (1895—1945) comprising the Malay states of Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, and Selangor; capital Kuala Lumpur

States (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: commonwealths, countries, lands, nations, sovereignties
    related: city-states, microstates, ministates, nation-states, domains, dominions, empires, kingdoms, realms, republics, duchies, dukedoms, emirates, principalities, seigniories, sultanates, democracies, dictatorships, monarchies, monocracies, oligarchies, sovereigns, theocracies, client states, colonies, condominiums, dependencies, mandates, provinces, settlements, soil, trust territories, fatherlands, homelands, motherlands, great powers, powers, sea powers, superpowers, world powers, welfare states

States (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: articulates, clothes, couches, expresses, formulates, phrases, puts, says, words
    related: crafts, frames, hints, implies, insinuates, intimates, suggests, paraphrases, rephrases, restates, rewords, summarizes, translates, communicates, discloses, speaks, talks, tells, utters, verbalizes, vocalizes, describes, renders, writes up

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

    "I believe this theory is wrong, she stated"

    similar: articulates, brings out, enunciates, passes, says, speaks, talks, tells, utters, verbalizes, vocalizes, puts into words
    related: airs, discusses, gives, looks, shares, sounds, ventilates, vents, voices, blabbers, blurts, bolts, gets off, shoots, advertises, announces, blazes, broadcasts, declares, posts, proclaims, promulgates, publicizes, publishes, affirms, alleges, asserts, avers, avouches, avows, breathes, chirps, drawls, gasps, lips, mouths, murmurs, purrs, shouts, splutters, spouts, whispers, clothes, couches, formulates, formulizes, phrases, puts, words, comments, pipes up (with), remarks, rips (out), snarls
    near: stifles, suppresses

  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: airs, expounds, expresses, gives, looks, raises, sounds, ventilates, vents, voices, gives air to, puts forth
    related: advertises, announces, declares, enounces, enunciates, proclaims, says, broadcasts, circulates, disseminates, publishes, describes, writes, writes up, sounds off, speaks out, speaks up, chimes in, communicates, conveys, puts across, puts over, offers, submits
    opposite: stifles, suppresses
    near: censors, restrains, restricts

Related Entry: State (noun)

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

  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

Related Entry: State (verb)

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

  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: Client states (noun)

Client states is a different word from States. The synonyms below are for client states, not for states.

  1. as in settlements, trust territories

    similar: colonies, condominiums, dependencies, mandates, provinces, settlements, soil, trust territories, democracies, dictatorships, monarchies, monocracies, oligarchies, sovereigns, theocracies, fatherlands, homelands, motherlands, duchies, dukedoms, emirates, principalities, seigniories, sultanates, great powers, powers, sea powers, superpowers, world powers, domains, dominions, empires, kingdoms, realms, republics, welfare states, city-states, microstates, ministates, nation-states, commonwealths, countries, lands, nations, sovereignties, states

Related Entry: Welfare states (noun)

Welfare states is a different word from States. The synonyms below are for welfare states, not for states.

  1. as in countries, states

    similar: commonwealths, countries, lands, nations, sovereignties, states, client states, colonies, condominiums, dependencies, mandates, provinces, settlements, soil, trust territories, democracies, dictatorships, monarchies, monocracies, oligarchies, sovereigns, theocracies, domains, dominions, empires, kingdoms, realms, republics, great powers, powers, sea powers, superpowers, world powers, duchies, dukedoms, emirates, principalities, seigniories, sultanates, city-states, microstates, ministates, nation-states, fatherlands, homelands, motherlands

Related Entry: City-states (noun)

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

  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: microstates, ministates, nation-states, commonwealths, countries, lands, nations, sovereignties, domains, dominions, empires, kingdoms, realms, republics, duchies, dukedoms, emirates, principalities, seigniories, sultanates, democracies, dictatorships, monarchies, monocracies, oligarchies, sovereigns, theocracies, client states, colonies, condominiums, dependencies, mandates, provinces, settlements, soil, trust territories, fatherlands, homelands, motherlands, great powers, powers, sea powers, superpowers, world powers, welfare states

Related Entry: Nation-states (noun)

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

  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-states, microstates, ministates, commonwealths, countries, lands, nations, sovereignties, states, domains, dominions, empires, kingdoms, realms, republics, duchies, dukedoms, emirates, principalities, seigniories, sultanates, democracies, dictatorships, monarchies, monocracies, oligarchies, sovereigns, theocracies, client states, colonies, condominiums, dependencies, mandates, provinces, settlements, soil, trust territories, fatherlands, homelands, motherlands, great powers, powers, sea powers, superpowers, world powers, welfare states

Related Entry: City-state (noun)

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

  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 States. The synonyms below are for nation-state, not for states.

  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

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for States

The most common words with a similar meaning to States:

commonwealths, countries, lands, nations, sovereignties, articulates, clothes, couches, expresses, formulates, phrases, puts, says, words, brings out, enunciates, passes, speaks, talks, tells, utters, verbalizes, vocalizes, airs, expounds, gives, looks, raises, sounds, ventilates, vents, voices, puts into words, gives air to, puts forth

Antonyms & Opposite Words for States

Words with the opposite meaning of States:

stifles, suppresses

Related Words for States

city-states, microstates, ministates, nation-states, domains, dominions, empires, kingdoms, realms, republics, duchies, dukedoms, emirates, principalities, seigniories, sultanates, democracies, dictatorships, monarchies, monocracies, oligarchies, sovereigns, theocracies, client states, colonies, condominiums, dependencies, mandates, provinces, settlements

Near Antonyms of States

censors, restrains, restricts

Word Forms of States

Inflections: stated, stating

Derived words: statable (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of States

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

First known use: 13th century

Words & Phrases Containing States

States General, states' righter, states' rights, United States

Frequently Asked Questions about States

What does "States" mean?

"States" means mode or condition of being. As an a noun, a verb and a plural noun, it is defined as: mode or condition of being. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "States"?

Other words for "States" include commonwealths, countries, lands, nations, sovereignties, articulates, clothes and couches. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "States" you intend.

What are different ways to say "States"?

There are 148 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "States". Common alternatives include commonwealths, countries, lands, nations, sovereignties, articulates, clothes, couches, expresses and formulates.

What is the opposite of "States"?

Antonyms of "States" include stifles and suppresses. Near antonyms include censors, restrains and restricts.

How do you use "States" in a sentence?

Examples of "States" in a sentence: "the British monarch is the head of state, while the prime minister is the head of the government"; "please state the vehicle's mechanical problem as clearly and briefly as possible"; "I believe this theory is wrong, she stated".

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

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

How do you pronounce "States"?

"States" is pronounced /ˈstāt/ as a noun, /ˈstāts-ˈrī-tər/ as a noun and /yu̇-ˈnī-təd-/ as a noun.

What is the origin of the word "States"?

"States" comes from Middle English stat, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French estat, from Latin status, from stare to stand stand. First known use: 13th century.