state /stāt/

1. A condition
2. A perturbed condition of mind (informal)
3. An untidy condition (informal)
4. A mode of existence
5. A set of circumstances that exist at any time
6. A phase or stage
7. An impression taken at a stage of progress in engraving or etching or in printing a book
8. Status
9. Station in life
10. High station
11. Grave import (Shakespeare)
12. Pomp, display, ceremonial dignity
13. A seat of dignity (Shakespeare)
14. A canopy (Milton)
15. An estate, order, or class in society or the body politic
16. Hence (in pl) the legislature (historical)
17. An exalted personage (Milton)
18. Public welfare
19. The constitution
20. A republic (obsolete)
21. The civil power
22. A political community under one government
23. One of a number of political communities forming a federation under a central government
24. The territory of such a community
25. High politics
26. An interest in property (Spenser)
27. Property, estate (Shakespeare)
28. A body of people united by profession
29. A statement, report (now chiefly military)

1. Of, belonging to, or relating to, the state or a federal state
2. Run or financed by the state
3. Public
4. Ceremonial
5. Pompous
6. Affectedly solemn and mysterious
7. Magnificent

Explained in old gloss as stoutly (perh pompous)

1. To set forth
2. To express the details of
3. To set down fully and formally
4. To assert, affirm
5. To install, establish, endow, place in a condition (esp favourable; archaic)
6. To set in state
7. To specify
8. Perh to determine the value of (Milton)
9. To settle

stātˈable adjective

Capable of being stated

stātˈal adjective

Of a federal state

stātˈed adjective

1. Settled
2. Established
3. Declared
4. Regular
5. Circumstanced (obsolete)

stātˈedly adverb

stateˈhood noun

The status of a state

stateˈless adjective

1. Without nationality
2. Unworthy to be accounted a state
3. Without pomp

stateˈlessness noun

stateˈlet noun

A minor state

stateˈlily adverb

stateˈliness noun

stateˈly adjective

1. Showing state or dignity
2. Majestic, greatly impressive

1. Majestically
2. Loftily

stateˈment noun

1. The act of stating
2. That which is stated
3. A formal account, declaration of facts, etc
4. An instruction in a source language or any directive input to a program that converts a source language into machine code (computing)
5. A financial record, eg one issued regularly by a bank to a customer, stating his or her personal balance and detailing debits and credits
6. (in the UK) a written undertaking, legally binding, by an education authority to provide certain stated resources in the education of a particular child with learning difficulties

To issue a statement about the special educational needs of (a child)

stateˈmented adjective

stateˈmenting noun

stātˈer noun

stateˈwide adjective (US)

Applied throughout the state

stātˈism noun

(the belief in) state control of economic and social affairs

stātˈist noun and adjective (see also separate entry)

state-aidˈed adjective

Receiving contributions from the state

state bank noun

(in the USA) a bank that is awarded its charter by a state government

state cabin noun

A stateroom on a ship

state capitalism noun

Control by the state of the means of production and use of capital

stateˈcraft noun

The art of managing state affairs

State Department noun

The US government department dealing with foreign affairs

State Enrolled Nurse noun

A nurse who has passed a particular examination of the General Nursing Council of England and Wales or the General Nursing Council of Scotland (abbrev SEN; see also State Registered Nurse below)

state house noun

1. (usu with caps) the building in which a state legislature sits
2. (sometimes with cap) a building where state ceremonies are held
3. A house built by the government for renting (NZ)

stately home noun

A large, fine old house, esp one open to the public

statement of claim noun

The pleading in which the plaintiff in an action at law sets forth his or her case against the defendant

stateˈ-monger noun (derogatory)

One who would like to be thought a statesman

state of affairs or state of events noun

A situation, set of circumstances

state of emergency see emergency under emerge

state of play noun

The situation as it currently stands

state of repair noun

Physical condition, soundness

state of the art noun

1. The level or position at a given time, esp the present, of generally accepted and available knowledge, technical achievement, etc in a particular field, etc
2. The level of technological development as yet unsurpassed in a particular field

state-of-the-artˈ adjective

state paper noun

An official paper or document relating to affairs of state

state prison noun

state prisoner noun

A prisoner confined for offence against the state

State Registered Nurse noun

In England and Wales, a nurse who has passed a more advanced examination of the General Nursing Council of England and Wales than a State Enrolled Nurse (abbrev SRN; see also Registered General Nurse under register)

state religion noun

A religion recognized by the state as the national religion

stateˈroom noun

1. A private cabin or railway compartment
2. A large room for formal or ceremonial occasions, esp in a palace

state school noun

One controlled by a public authority, and financed by taxation

States General noun

1. The representative body of the three orders (nobility, clergy, burghers) of the French kingdom (historical)
2. The Dutch parliament

Stateˈside adjective and adverb (informal; also without cap)

Of, in, towards or to the USA

statesˈman, fem statesˈwoman noun

1. A person skilled in government
2. A person who takes an important part in governing the state, esp with wisdom and broad-mindedness
3. A person who farms his or her own estate, a small landholder (N Eng)

statesˈmanlike or statesˈmanly adjective

Befitting a statesman or stateswoman

statesˈmanship noun

state socialism noun

A political system in which the state controls industry and the banking system

statesˈperson noun

state trial noun

A trial for an offence against the state

state trooper noun

(in the US) a member of a state police force

Council (or House) of States see under council

lie in state

(of a corpse) to be laid out in a place of honour before being buried

state of the Union message

(in the US) an annual report by the President, required by statute, on the state of the nation and on legislative plans

States of the Church (historical)

An area of central Italy ruled by the popes as a temporal domain (also Papal States)

the States

The United States

turn State's evidence see under evident

• flat-footed
• flat-footedness
• flathead
• flatheads
• flatiron
• flatirons
• flatland
• flatlands
• flatlet
• flatlets
• flatline
• flatlined
• flatliner
• flatliners
• flatlines
• flatling
• flatlings
• flatlining
• flatlong
• flatly
• flatmate
• flatmates
• flatness
• flatnesses
• flat out