city-state

noun

ˈsi-tē-ˌstāt How to pronounce city-state (audio)
 also  -ˈstāt
: an autonomous state consisting of a city and surrounding territory

Examples of city-state in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Princess Charlene of Monaco joined members of the sovereign city-state’s royal family for the 2025 edition of the Rose Ball. Julia Teti, Footwear News, 31 Mar. 2025 According to scholars, several groups, including some Greek city-states, settled in the region between 1,000 B.C. and 400 B.C. Facebook Translate and Google Translate were used to translate a Facebook post from Ukraine’s 123rd Territorial Defense Brigade. Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2025 The story of the Singapore’s Chinese migrant worker community dates back to before the existence of the modern-day city-state. Isabelle Kliger, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025 Thousands of years of water cooperation paid off More than 4,000 years ago, two Sumerian city-states – Lagash and Umma – were engaged in a fierce war over a strip of fertile land and a canal fed by the Tigris River in what today would be southern Iraq. Melissa McCracken, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for city-state

Word History

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of city-state was in 1840

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Cite this Entry

“City-state.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/city-state. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

city-state

noun
ˈsit-ē-ˈstāt,
-ˌstāt
: a self-governing state consisting of a city and surrounding territory

More from Merriam-Webster on city-state

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