What does "country" mean?
The territory of a nation; a sovereign state or a region once independent and still distinct in institutions, language, etc.
Country
/ˈkɐntɹi/ adj, noun, slang
adj, noun, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The territory of a nation; a sovereign state or a region once independent and still distinct in institutions, language, etc.
- Grammar: country is listed as adj, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: nation, rural area, sovereign state, state.
- Useful contrasts: itali an città, portuguese estado, anarchy.
- Usage evidence: Italy is a very beautiful country.
How to use "country"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "country" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "country" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "country" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "country" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "country" is acting as adj, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "nation" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "country", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The territory of a nation; a sovereign state or a region once independent and still distinct in institutions, language, etc. countable, uncountable
"By one o'clock the place was choc-a-bloc. […] The restaurant was packed, and the promenade between the two main courts and the subsidiary courts was thronged with healthy-looking youngish people, drawn to the Mecca of tennis from all parts of the country."
- 2 the people who live in a nation or country wordnet
- 3 An area of land of undefined extent; a region, a district. British, countable, especially, uncountable
"We walk along flat, open country, red dirt and spinifex grass, a few short trees[…]."
- 4 a politically organized body of people under a single government wordnet
- 5 An area of land of undefined extent; a region, a district.; An area of land of indefinite extent or of more or less definite extent in relation to human occupation, especially characterized by its particular physical features, or its suitability for a particular activity or connected with its population (by race, dialect, culture, etc.) or a person, especially a writer, or their works. British, countable, especially, uncountable
"Thomas Hardy country"
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 a particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography) wordnet
- 7 A rural area, as opposed to a town or city; the countryside. uncountable
"I was borne and brought up in the Countrie, and amidst husbandry[…]."
- 8 the territory occupied by a nation wordnet
- 9 The inhabitants or people of a district, region, or nation; the populace, the public. countable, uncountable
"For all the country, in a general voice, Cried hate upon him."
- 10 an area outside of cities and towns wordnet
- 11 Traditional lands of Indigenous people with embedded cultural, spiritual, cosmological, ecological, and physical attributes and values. Australia, capitalized, countable, uncountable, usually
""Me like my country — no much too hot, no much too cold. By and bye, white fellow come — soldier-man come. White fellow say, this our land, that our land — ALL country our land. Black fellow say no! my country no white fellow's country, and black fellow take spear."
- 12 Ellipsis of country music. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable
"a country song"
- 13 The spirit of the country (rural places): the spirit of country folkways; those folkways. countable, informal, uncountable
"you can take the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy"
- 14 The rock through which a vein of ore or coal runs. countable, uncountable
Adjective
- 1 From or in the countryside, connected with it, or typical of it.
"Things around here are just a little more country than what he's used to."
- 2 Of or connected to country music.
"They're mainly a hard rock band, but their new album sounds kinda country to me."
- 3 Originating in India rather than being imported from abroad. India
"We have seen that the Company manufactured silk stuffs at three of its Residencies, but from country-wound silk."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Italy is a very beautiful country."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "country"?
Common synonyms include: nation, rural area, sovereign state, state, acres, afghanistan.
How do you use "country" in a sentence?
Italy is a very beautiful country.
How do you pronounce "country"?
Pronounced /ˈkɐntɹi/.
Etymology
From Middle English contre, contree, contreie, from Old French contree, cuntrede, from Vulgar Latin *(terra) contrata (“(land) lying opposite; (land) spread before one”) (also in Medieval Latin as "country, region"), from Latin contrā (“against, opposite”) (whence contra-). Cognate with Scots kintra. Unrelated to county. Displaced native English land in some of its senses. From around 1300 as "area surrounding a walled city or town; the open country." By early 16th century the sense was applied mostly to rural areas, as opposed to towns and cities. Compare typologically Russian страна́ (straná), сторона́ (storoná).