Meaning & use
state
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
The condition that someone or something is in at a particular time.
Grammar: Often singular with in an or a state of; plural states names kinds or conditions.
Patterns
- in a state
- a state of something
- physical or mental state
The house was in a terrible state after the flood.
Her calm state of mind helped everyone relax.
nouncountableformal
An independent nation or organized political community.
Grammar: Formal when meaning government or nation; compounds include nation state and head of state.
Patterns
- nation state
- head of state
- state visit
The treaty was signed by every member state.
The president welcomed the head of state at the airport.
nouncountable
A self-governing political region within a federal country.
Grammar: Takes a plural states; capitalized in names such as the State of California.
Patterns
- federal state
- state government
- the state of Texas
Texas is the largest state in the continental United States.
Each state sets some of its own education rules.
verbtransitive
To say or write something clearly and definitely.
Grammar: Takes an object such as a fact, name, opinion, or that-clause: state your address.
Patterns
- state that
- state clearly
- state a fact or opinion
Please state your full name for the record.
The report states that costs rose faster than income.
Word forms
| plural | states |
|---|---|
| third person singular | states |
| past tense | stated |
| past participle | stated |
| -ing form | stating |
Common combinations
- state of emergency
- The governor declared a state of emergency after the hurricane.
- current state
- We assessed the current state of the bridge.
- state government
- The state government funded new buses.
- state clearly
- State clearly whether you accept the offer.
- nation state
- The modern nation state has defined borders and citizenship.
Synonyms and how they differ
- condition
- Neutral everyday word for how something is; state can sound more formal or serious.
- country
- A country may emphasize land and people; state emphasizes political organization.
- province
- A province is a region inside a country, often not self-governing like a federal state.
- declare
- As a verb, declare is more formal and public than state.
Word family
Commonly confused: state or status? state or statue?
state vs status
Status means rank, position, or progress, not the general condition meant by state.
state vs statue
A statue is a carved or cast figure; spelling and meaning differ.
Practice
Choose the correct use of state: The form asks you to ___ your date of birth.
Choose one answer.
State as a verb means to say or write something clearly, so a form asks you to state your date of birth. Estate means property; stare means look fixedly; status means position or rank.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “state”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.