Nation

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: na=tion

CIDE DICTIONARY

Nation, n. [F. nation, L. natio nation, race, orig., a being born, fr. natus, p. p. of nasci, to be born, for gnatus, gnasci, from the same root as E. kin. √44. See Kin kindred, and cf. Cognate, Natal, Native.].

•  A part, or division, of the people of the earth, distinguished from the rest by common descent, language, or institutions; a race; a stock.  [1913 Webster]

  "All nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues."  [1913 Webster]
•  The body of inhabitants of a country, united under an independent government of their own.  [1913 Webster]

  "A nation is the unity of a people."  [1913 Webster]

  "Praise the power that hath made and preserved us a nation."  [1913 Webster]
•  Family; lineage.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]
•  One of the divisions of university students in a classification according to nativity, formerly common in Europe.  [1913 Webster]
•  A great number; a great deal; -- by way of emphasis; as, a nation of herbs.  Sterne.  [1913 Webster]

Five nations. See under Five. -- Law of nations. See International law, under International, and Law.

Syn. -- people; race. See People.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Nation, n.
1 a community of people of mainly common descent, history, language, etc., forming a State or inhabiting a territory.
2 a tribe or confederation of tribes of N. American Indians.

Idiom

law of nations Law international law.

Derivative

nationhood n.

Etymology

ME f. OF f. L natio -onis f. nasci nat- be born

THESAURUS

Nation

Everyman, John Doe, Public, ally, animal kingdom, archduchy, archdukedom, blood, body politic, breed, brood, buffer state, captive nation, chieftaincy, chieftainry, citizenry, city-state, clan, class, colony, common man, commonweal, commonwealth, community, community at large, constituency, country, county, cultural community, culture, deme, domain, dominion, duchy, dukedom, dwellers, earldom, empery, empire, estate, ethnic group, everybody, everyman, everyone, everywoman, family, folk, folks, free city, general public, gens, gentry, grand duchy, habitancy, house, inhabitants, kind, kingdom, land, line, lineage, linguistic community, mandant, mandate, mandated territory, mandatee, mandatory, matriclan, men, nationality, order, patriclan, people, people at large, people in general, persons, phratry, phyle, plant kingdom, polis, polity, populace, population, possession, power, principality, principate, protectorate, province, public, puppet government, puppet regime, race, realm, republic, satellite, seneschalty, sept, settlement, society, sovereign nation, species, speech community, state, stem, stirps, stock, strain, sultanate, superpower, territory, toparchia, toparchy, totem, tribe, whole people, world, you and me

ROGET THESAURUS

Nation

Consanguinity

N consanguinity, relationship, kindred, blood, parentage, filiation, affiliation, lineage, agnation, connection, alliance, family connection, family tie, ties of blood, nepotism, kinsman, kinfolk, kith and kin, relation, relative, connection, sibling, sib, next of kin, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, cousin, cousin- german, first cousin, second cousin, cousin once removed, cousin twice removed, ear relation, distant relation, brother, sister, one's own flesh and blood, family, fraternity, brotherhood, sisterhood, cousinhood, race, stock, generation, sept, stirps, side, strain, breed, clan, tribe, nation, related, akin, consanguineous, of the blood, family, allied, collateral, cognate, agnate, connate, kindred, affiliated, fraternal, intimately related, nearly related, closely related, remotely related, distantly related, allied, german.

Government

N government, legal authority, soveriegn, sovereign authority, authority, master, direction, national government, nation, state, country, nation- state, dominion, republic, empire, union, democratic republic, kingdom, principality, state government, state, shire, province, county, canton, territory, duchy, archduchy, archdukedom, woiwodshaft, commonwealth, region, property, county, parish city, domain, tract, arrondissement, mofussil, commune, wappentake, hundred, riding, lathe, garth, soke, tithing, ward, precinct, bailiwick, command, empire, sway, rule, dominion, domination, sovereignty, supremacy, suzerainty, lordship, headship, chiefdom, seigniory, seigniority, rule, sway, command, control, administer, govern, lead, preside over, reign, possess the throne, be seated on the throne, occupy the throne, sway the scepter, wield the scepter, wear the crown, state, realm, body politic, posse comitatus, judicature, cabinet, seat of government, seat of authority, headquarters, accession, installation, politics, reign, regime, dynasty, directorship, dictatorship, protectorate, protectorship, caliphate, pashalic, electorate, presidency, presidentship, administration, proconsul, consulship, prefecture, seneschalship, magistrature, magistracy, monarchy, kinghood, kingship, royalty, regality, aristarchy, aristocracy, oligarchy, democracy, theocracy, demagogy, commonwealth, dominion, heteronomy, republic, republicanism, socialism, collectivism, mob law, mobocracy, ochlocracy, vox populi, imperium in imperio, bureaucracy, beadledom, bumbledom, stratocracy, military power, military government, junta, feodality, feudal system, feudalism, thearchy, theocracy, dinarchy, duarchy, triarchy, heterarchy, duumvirate, triumvirate, autocracy, autonomy, limited monarchy, constitutional government, constitutional monarchy, home rule, representative government, monocracy, pantisocracy, gynarchy, gynocracy, gynaeocracy, petticoat government, legislature, judiciary, administration, office of the president, office of the prime minister, cabinet, senate, house of representatives, parliament, council, courts, supreme court, state, interior, labor, health and human services, defense, education, agriculture, justice, commerce, treasury, Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, National Institutes of Health, NIH, Postal Service, Post Office, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, president, vice president, cabinet member, prime minister, minister, senator, representatative, president pro tem, speaker of the house, department head, section head, section chief, federal judge, justice, justice of the supreme court, chief justice, treasurer, secretary of the treasury, director of the FBI, governor, state cabinet member, state senator, assemblyman, assemblywoman, regal, sovereign, governing, royal, royalist, monarchical, kingly, imperial, imperiatorial, princely, feudal, aristocratic, autocratic, oligarchic, republican, dynastic, ruling, regnant, gubernatorial, imperious, authoritative, executive, administrative, clothed with authority, official, departmental, ex officio, imperative, peremptory, overruling, absolute, hegemonic, hegemonical, authorized, government, public, national, federal, his majesty's, her majesty's, state, county, city, N, a dog's obeyed in office, cada uno tiene su alguazil, le Roi le veut, regibus esse manus en nescio longas, regnant populi, the demigod Authority, the right divine of kings to govern wrong, uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.

Mankind

N man, mankind, human race, human species, human kind, human nature, humanity, mortality, flesh, generation, anthropology, anthropogeny, anthropography, anthroposophy, ethnology, ethnography, humanitarian, human being, person, personage, individual, creature, fellow creature, mortal, body, somebody, one, such a one, some one, soul, living soul, earthling, party, head, hand, dramatis personae, quidam, people, persons, folk, public, society, world, community, community at large, general public, nation, nationality, state, realm, commonweal, commonwealth, republic, body politic, million, population, tribe, clan (paternity), family (consanguinity), cosmopolite, lords of the creation, ourselves, human, mortal, personal, individual, national, civic, public, social, cosmopolitan, anthropoid, am I not a man and a brother?.