state ( states plural & 3rd person present) ( stating present participle) ( stated past tense & past participle )
1 n-count You can refer to countries as states, particularly when you are discussing politics.
Some weeks ago I recommended to EU member states that we should have discussions with the Americans.
2 n-count Some large countries such as the USA are divided into smaller areas called states.
Leaders of the Southern states are meeting in Louisville.
3 n-proper The USA is sometimes referred to as the States.
INFORMAL the N
4 n-sing You can refer to the government of a country as the state.
The state does not collect enough revenue to cover its expenditure...
5 adj State industries or organizations are financed and organized by the government rather than private companies.
...reform of the state social-security system.
6 adj A state occasion is a formal one involving the head of a country.
The president of Czechoslovakia is in Washington on a state visit.
7 n-count When you talk about the stateof someone or something, you are referring to the condition they are in or what they are like at a particular time.
usu sing, with supp
For the first few months after Daniel died, I was in a state of clinical depression..., Look at the state of my car!
8 verb If you state something, you say or write it in a formal or definite way.
Clearly state your address and telephone number... V n
The police report stated that he was arrested for allegedly assaulting his wife... V that
`Our relationship is totally platonic,' she stated... V with quote
Buyers who do not apply within the stated period can lose their deposits. V-ed
head of state
10 If you say that someone is not in a fit stateto do something, you mean that they are too upset or ill to do it.
not in a fit state phrase V inflects, PHR to-inf
When you left our place, you weren't in a fit state to drive.
11 If you are in a state or if you get into a state, you are very upset or nervous about something.
in a state/into a state phrase v-link PHR
I was in a terrible state because nobody could understand why I had this illness...
12 If the dead body of an important person lies in state, it is publicly displayed for a few days before it is buried.
lie in state phrase V inflects
buffer state ( buffer states plural ) A buffer state is a peaceful country situated between two or more larger hostile countries. n-count
Turkey and Greece were buffer states against the former Soviet Union.
client state ( client states plural ) A client state is a country which is controlled or influenced by another larger and more powerful state, or which depends on this state for support and protection. n-count
...France and its African client states.
head of state ( heads of state plural ) A head of state is the leader of a country, for example a president, king, or queen. n-count
If you refer to the government as thenanny state, you disapprove of it because you think it tries to protect its citizens too much and makes them rely on the state too much.
(mainly BRIT) n-sing usu the N (disapproval)
The tussle to free the individual from the nanny state is still far from won.
nation-state ( nation-states plural ) , nation state A nation-state is an independent state which consists of people from one particular national group. n-count
Albania is a small nation state of around 3 million people.
persistent vegetative state ( persistent vegetative states plural ) If someone is in a persistent vegetative state, they are unable to think, speak, or move because they have severe brain damage, and their condition is not likely to improve. (MEDICAL) n-count
police state ( police states plural ) A police state is a country in which the government controls people's freedom by means of the police, especially secret police. n-count
Secretary of State ( Secretaries of State plural )
1 n-count In the United States, the Secretary of State is the head of the government department which deals with foreign affairs.
usu the N in sing
2 n-count In Britain, the Secretary of State for a particular government department is the head of that department.
usu the N in sing
...the Secretary of State for Education.
Solid-state electronic equipment is made using transistors or silicon chips, instead of valves or other mechanical parts. (TECHNICAL) adj ADJ n
In the United States, the State Department is the government department that is concerned with foreign affairs. n-proper the N
Officials at the State Department say the issue is urgent., ...a senior State Department official.
state of affairs
If you refer to a particular state of affairs, you mean the general situation and circumstances connected with someone or something. n-sing usu with supp
This state of affairs cannot continue for too long, if parliament is to recover...
state of mind ( states of mind plural ) Your state of mind is your mood or mental state at a particular time. n-count usu sing, usu with supp
I want you to get into a whole new state of mind...
state of siege
A state of siege is a situation in which a government or other authority puts restrictions on the movement of people into or out of a country, town, or building. n-sing
Under the state of siege, the police could arrest suspects without charges or warrants.
If you describe something as state-of-the-art, you mean that it is the best available because it has been made using the most modern techniques and technology. adj usu ADJ n
...the production of state-of-the-art military equipment.
state school ( state schools plural ) A state school is a school that is controlled and funded by the government or a local authority, and which children can attend without having to pay.
in AM, use public school
In Britain and some other countries, the welfare state is a system in which the government provides free social services such as health and education and gives money to people when they are unable to work, for example because they are old, unemployed, or sick. n-sing