Meaning of state in English

state

noun

/steɪt/ uk

/steɪt/

state noun (CONDITION)

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B2 [ C ]

a condition or way of being that exists at a particular time:

a state of The building was in a state of disrepair.

state of mind She was found wandering in a confused state of mind.

Give me the keys - you're not in a state to drive.

in a state of shock After the accident I was in a state of shock.

state of affairs I came home to an unhappy state of affairs (= situation).

The kitchen was in its original state, with a 1920s sink and stove.

the state of play UK

the present situation:

the state of play in The article provides a useful summary of the current state of play in the negotiations.

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Exercise can make a big difference to your state of health.
The old railway cottages were in a state of dereliction.
The whole office was in a state of disorder.
Over the years the church has fallen into a state of neglect.
I was in a state of shock for about two weeks after the accident.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Conditions and characteristics

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state noun (COUNTRY)

C1 [ C or U ]

a country, especially as represented by its government:

The three Baltic states - Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia - were formerly republics of the Soviet Union.

member state The U.K. was one of the member states of the European Union until its departure in 2020.

client state

police state

pariah state

rogue state

sovereign state

successor state

Compare

country (POLITICAL UNIT)
land noun (COUNTRY) literary
nation
nation state
sovereign state
territory (AREA)

C1 [ S ]

the government of a country:

the state Some theaters receive a small amount of funding from the state.

state-owned The government was determined to reduce the number of state-owned industries.

affairs of state formal His diary included comments on affairs of state (= government activities).

state pension

state school

B1 [ C ]

a part of a large country with its own government, such as in the U.S. Australia, Brazil, or Germany:

Representatives are elected from each state.

Alaska is the largest state in the U.S.

The federal capital, Brasília, is not part of any state, and is not one itself.

The states of Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria occupy the eastern third of Australia.

state premier

state line

state tree

state university

the States informal

used to refer to the U.S:

In 1946, Baskin returned to the States and married a local woman.

in state

If a king, queen, or government leader does something in state, they do it in a formal way as part of an official ceremony:

The Queen rode in state to the opening of Parliament.

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All attempts at diplomacy have broken down and the two states now appear to be on a collision course.
Abortion is restricted in some American states.
The United States is a federation of 50 individual states.
Representatives of the member states will be meeting next week.
The creation of independent states has led to a resurgence of nationalism.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Countries, nationalities & continents: country & nation

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Towns & regions: parts of countries

Idiom

be in/get into a state

state

verb [ T ]

formal

/steɪt/ uk

/steɪt/

to say or write something, especially clearly and carefully:

Our warranty clearly states the limits of our liability.

[ + (that) ] Union members stated (that) they were unhappy with the proposal.

[ + question word ] Please state why you wish to apply for this grant.

Children in the stated (= named) areas were at risk from a lack of food, the report said.

Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

according to newspapers, records, etc.

according toAccording to reports, the ceasefire is holding.
as stated by/inAs stated by medical experts, these products are totally safe when used correctly.
as maintained byThere is no reason to change your diet, as maintained by some lifestyle experts.
as claimed bySo-called superfoods will not make you live longer, as claimed by some advertisers.

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Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

to say something

sayWhen I say your name, raise your hand.
utterShe barely uttered a word all morning.
they sayThey say the house is haunted.
it is saidIt is said that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
stateUnion members stated that they were unhappy with the proposal.
remarkHe remarked that she was looking thin.

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More examplesFewer examples

He stated firmly that no concessions will be made to the strikers.
The rebel leaders stated that they are willing to enter into dialogue with the government.
The police stated that some 50 rounds had been discharged.
The assessor stated that the fire damage was not as severe as the hotel's owner had claimed.
All recipes in this book, unless otherwise stated, will serve four to five people.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Announcing, informing & stating

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state

adjective [ before noun ]

/steɪt/ uk

/steɪt/

provided, created, or done by the state (= government of a country):

state education/industries

state control

state funding/pensions/subsidies

State events are formal official ceremonies that involve a leader of a country or someone who represents the government:

the state opening of Parliament

a state funeral

referring to a part of a large country that has its own government:

the state legislature

a state sales tax

the state superintendent of education for Indiana

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He's a strong advocate of state ownership of the railroads.
They received state funding for the project.
I'm not interested in state handouts - all I want is a job.
The governor has denied making improper use of state money.
The police couldn't arrest him because he'd fled across the state line.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Politics - general words

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Towns & regions: parts of countries

(Definition of state from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

state | Intermediate English

state

noun [ C ]

/steɪt/

state noun [C] (WAY OF BEING)

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a condition or way of being:

The stable was preserved in its original state.

Your room is in a terrible state.

It's a sad state of affairs (= a bad situation) when our rivers are so endangered.

state noun [C] (PLACE)

politics & government

one of the political units that some countries, such as the US, are divided into:

New York State

the State of Arizona

politics & government

A state is also a country or its government:

the member states of the United Nations

the States US history

The States is another way of referring to the United States:

When will you be visiting the States?

state

verb [ T ]

/steɪt/

state verb [T] (EXPRESS)

to express information clearly and carefully:

His will states the property is to be sold.

Please state your preference.

state

adjective [ not gradable ]

/steɪt/

state adjective [not gradable] (PLACE)

provided, created, or done by the state:

a state legislature/law

state police

politics & government

State also refers to formal or official government activities:

a state dinner

(Definition of state from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

state | Business English

state

noun

/steɪt/ us

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[ C, usually singular ]

the condition that someone or something is in at a particular time:

The offices were in a state of disrepair.

The index for capital goods production is a key indicator of the state of the economy.

They commented on the poor state of the company's finances.

Some economists are predicting that public finances will return to a healthy state within five years.

They are paid a stable, fair price, regardless of the current state of the market.

state of affairs

a situation:

Poor decisions by the board bear most of the responsibility for this sorry state of affairs.

the state of play UK

the present situation:

The meeting reviewed the state of play in each market.

[ C ] GOVERNMENT (also State)

a country with its own government:

the West African State of Ghana

The legislation requires the agreement of every one of the EU's member states.

In December 1991, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was broken up into fifteen independent states.

[ C ] GOVERNMENT (also State)

a part of a large country such as Australia, Germany, or the US that has its own government:

The German federal states have a large degree of autonomy.

the northern/southern/eastern/western states of the US

The company operates hospitals in 12 states, including Texas and California.

The Navajo reservation stretches from Arizona into two neighbouring states.

[ U or S ] GOVERNMENT

(also the state); (also the State)

the government of a country:

funded/provided/run by the state

affairs/matters of state

The government was determined to reduce the number of state-owned industries.

They hope to reduce dependence on the state by paying benefits only to those whose income falls below a new, higher tax threshold.

the States [ plural ] informal

used to refer to the United States of America:

If they wish to work in the States again, they must show proof of employment with a US-based employer.

Examples of state

state

But there's no law against having temporary tags in the state.

From The Atlantic

The state's death rate per 100,000 in 2014 was 13.2, which was 31st highest among the 50 states.

From Chicago Daily Herald

Do what it takes for you not to get depressed and to stay in an optimal state of mind.

From CNN

As a state that values equality, we can and should do better.

From Baltimore Sun

But again states don't have to do this right away.

From NPR

The state has the right to pass whatever statutes they have.

From Huffington Post

That's the microversion of the state of affairs.

From The Atlantic

We live in five different cities in three different states.

From CNN

Being an artist is a state of mind.

From OregonLive.com

The book publishing world is in a never-ending state of turmoil.

From Huffington Post

Have you ever considered that without government involvement the state of education would be even worse?

From TIME

She was put in a state nursing home.

From Huffington Post

Most people who live long lives also have different state of minds from those who don't.

From CBS Local

Here are some questions and answers about doing business across state lines.

From OregonLive.com

The state keeps on viewing them as being married.

From The Atlantic

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.