state
[noun]
Synonyms:
- condition, circumstances, position, predicament, shape, situation
- frame of mind, attitude, humour, mood, spirits
- country, commonwealth, federation, government, kingdom, land, nation, republic, territory
- ceremony, display, glory, grandeur, majesty, pomp, splendour, style
[verb]
Synonyms:
- express, affirm, articulate, assert, declare, expound, present, say, specify, utter, voice

---

Antonyms: imply
Related Idioms: state of being
Related Words: circumstances, attitude, position, stand, elucidate, explain, expound, interpret, set forth

---

English Thesaurus: comment, remark, point, observation, aside, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. state¹ S1 W2 /steɪt/ noun
[Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: estat, from Latin status, from the past participle of stare 'to stand']

1. CONDITION [countable] the physical or mental condition that someone or something is in
state of
There are fears for the state of the country’s economy.
in a bad/terrible etc state
When we bought the house, it was in a terrible state.
sb’s mental/physical/emotional state
Frankly, I wouldn’t trust his emotional state right now.
She was in an extremely confused state of mind.
in no fit state to do something (=should not do something because you are not in a suitable condition)
David’s in no fit state to drive.
She can’t go home now. Look at the state of her!
be in a good/bad state of repair (=be in good condition and not need repairing, or be in bad condition)
The boat was in a good state of repair.
The country was in a state of war (=officially fighting a war).
Water exists in three states: liquid, gaseous, and solid. ⇒ state of emergency

2. GOVERNMENT [singular, uncountable] (also the State) especially British English the government or political organization of a country:
The state has allocated special funds for the emergency.
state employees/property/regulations etc especially British English:
limits on salary increases for state workers
state-owned/state-funded/state-subsidized etc (=owned, paid for etc by the government)
a state-funded community housing project
matters/affairs of state (=the business of the government) ⇒ welfare state

3. COUNTRY [countable] a country considered as a political organization:
a NATO member state (=a country belonging to NATO)
democratic/one-party/totalitarian etc state ⇒ police state

4. PART OF A COUNTRY [countable] (also State British English) one of the areas with limited law-making powers that together make up a country controlled by a central government, such as the US and Australia ⇒ province, county, region:
Queensland is one of the states of Australia.
the state of Iowa
state employees/property/regulations etc
the state government
state and federal taxes

5. the States spoken a word meaning the US, used especially by someone when they are outside the US:
Which part of the States would you suggest I visit?

6. be in a state/get into a state British English spoken to be or become very nervous, anxious, or excited:
Mum and Dad were in a right state when I got in.

7. OFFICIAL CEREMONY [uncountable] the official ceremonies and events connected with government or rulers:
the Queen’s first state visit here in 17 years
music for state occasions (=special public events)

8. state of affairs formal a situation
unsatisfactory/sad/sorry state etc of affairs
I must say this is a very unsatisfactory state of affairs.

9. the state of play especially British English
a) the position reached in an activity or process that has not finished yet:
What is the state of play in the current negotiations?
b) the score in a sports game

10. lie in state if the body of an important person who has just died lies in state, it is put in a public place so that people can go and show their respect

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. state² S3 W2 verb [transitive]
[Word Family: verb: state, understate ≠ overstate; noun: statement, understatement ≠ overstatement; adjective: understated ≠ OVERSTATED]

1. to formally say or write a piece of information or your opinion:
Please state your name and address.
Rembert again stated his intention to resign from Parliament.
The government needs to clearly state its policy on UN intervention.
state (that)
The witness stated that he had not seen the woman before.
Fine, but aren’t you just stating the obvious here?

2. if a document, newspaper, ticket etc states information, it contains the information written clearly:
The price of the tickets is stated on the back.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

state
noun
I. condition
ADJ. acceptable, fit, good, healthy She managed to get the company's finances into a healthy state.
appalling, awful, bad, desperate, dire, dreadful, pitiful, poor, sorry, terrible | run-down We were shocked at the run-down state of the hospital.
emotional, mental, psychological He's not in a fit enough mental state to drive. | physical The inspectors assess the physical state of schools and equipment.
financial | nervous, trance-like He goes into a trance-like state when he plays the guitar.
current, present | former, previous | natural You can either varnish the wood or leave it in its natural state.
constant, continual, continuous, permanent, perpetual The country is in a perpetual state of anarchy.
advanced an advanced state of dehydration
VERB + STATE get into, go into | get sth into
PREP. in a ~ Jane was in a terrible state after losing her job.
into a ~ Babies can cry themselves into a state of frenzy.
~ of His life seems to be in a constant state of chaos.
PHRASES be in a good/bad, etc. state of repair The house was in a poor state of repair when we bought it.
a state of affairs The brothers' refusal to work together had brought about this sad state of affairs.
a state of emergency The government has declared a state of emergency in the flooded regions.
a state of flux The education system is still in a state of flux following the recent reform. | a state of health He's concerned about his mother's state of health.
a state of mind Public speaking can produce a state of mind akin to panic.
a state of shock The driver was just sitting there in a state of shock.
a state of war

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

state
II. country/government
ADJ. independent, nation, sovereign | foreign | democratic, one-party, socialist, totalitarian, etc. | member member states of the European Union
powerful, strong | weak | neighbouring
STATE + NOUN enterprise, monopoly | control, ownership The telephone network is still under state control.
property Every citizen could buy shares in privatized state property.
sector, system Teachers in the state sector are asking for a 7% pay rise. schools outside the state system
education, school Did you go to a state school or a private school?
aid, funding, funds, subsidy, support | benefit, pension unemployed people living on state benefit The state pension is barely enough to live on.
intervention large-scale state intervention in industry
spending Some prefer tax cuts to greater state spending on health and social services.
employee | secret He was shot for passing state secrets to foreign powers.
PHRASES affairs/matters of state The president's wife is said to have a powerful hand in affairs of state. | head of state Visiting heads of state usually stay in the palace.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

state
verb
ADV. clearly, plainly Please state clearly how many tickets you require.
exactly, explicitly, expressly, precisely, specifically These facts were nowhere explicitly stated.
categorically, definitely, positively, unequivocally She stated categorically that she had no intention of leaving.
emphatically, firmly | bluntly, flatly ‘Alcohol doesn't solve problems,’ she stated flatly.
confidently | correctly, rightly | falsely, incorrectly, wrongly | openly, publicly He stated his own views quite openly.
formally, officially | blandly | easily The demands are more easily stated than met.
briefly, succinctly | quietly | just, merely, simply I am merely stating the facts.
repeatedly | previously As previously stated, the phrase ‘value for money’ has an ambiguous meaning.
VERB + STATE go on to The report goes on to state that: …
fail to The committee failed to state their reasons for this decision.
PHRASES stated above/below We cannot accept this proposal for the reasons stated above.
state the obvious At the risk of stating the obvious, people who have not paid cannot be admitted.
unless otherwise stated/unless stated otherwise All the photographs in this book, unless otherwise stated, date from the 1950s.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

state

a bad state (also a poor/sorry state)
The report commented on the poor state of the roads.
a terrible state
His apartment was in a terrible state.
a healthy state (=a good state)
Student numbers at the college are in a healthy state.
sb’s mental/emotional state
Whenever Ben stops his medication, his mental state deteriorates.
sb’s physical state
Our emotions can have an effect on our physical state.
sth’s natural state
There's a plan to return large areas of farmland to their natural state.
sth’s present/current state
We can deduce how the planet evolved from its beginnings to its present state.
a constant/permanent/perpetual state of something
They lived in a constant state of fear.
an advanced state of something
The dead bird was in an advanced state of decay.
sb’s state of mind
What was his state of mind at the time of the attack?
sb’s state of health
The doctor said my general state of health was good.
sth’s state of repair/preservation
School buildings should be kept in a good state of repair.
a state of shock/confusion/panic etc
Howard, still in a state of shock, stared at Newman.
a state of collapse (=the state of being very ill or weak)
The economy was in a state of collapse.
a state of war
Syria was still in a state of war with Israel.
the present/current state of knowledge
That is the best advice we can offer, given our current state of knowledge about the disease.
an independent state (also a sovereign state formal)
Croatia became an independent state in 1991.
a democratic state
They wanted to transform the country into a modern democratic state.
a totalitarian state (=where there is no democracy)
Politicians get away with this sort of behaviour only in totalitarian states.
a one-party state
Until recently, the country was a one-party state.
a communist/socialist state
The former communist states began opening up their markets to foreign investment.
a fascist state
Freedom of speech is not tolerated in a fascist state.
a police state (=where the government strictly controls what people can say or do)
Too many laws bring us frighteningly close to the creation of a police state.
a member state (=a country that belongs to an organization of countries)
The statement said that NATO would counter any attack against a member state.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

comment something that you say or write in order to give your opinion:
Does anyone have any comments?
Readers are invited to send in their comments and suggestions.
remark something that you say:
Just ignore them if they start making rude remarks.
I’m not sure what he meant by that last remark.
point something that someone mentions about a subject in a discussion, argument, article etc:
That’s an interesting point, Steve.
He raises (=mentions) a number of important points in his paper.
observation a comment in which you say what you think or have noticed about something:
Karl Marx made the observation that history repeats itself first as tragedy, second as farce.
aside a comment made in a low voice, that you intend only certain people to hear:
‘Is that true?’, she whispered in an aside to Don.
quip /kwɪp/ a clever and amusing comment:
She knew she should reply with some light-hearted quip.
dig informal a comment you make to annoy or criticize someone:
I’m tired of her little digs at me.
taunt /tɔːnt $ tɒːnt/ a comment intended to make someone angry or upset:
The fans made racist taunts throughout the game.
say to tell someone something, using words:
‘I really ought to go,’ she said.
Lauren said she’d probably be late.
state to say something, especially in a definite or formal way – used in official contexts:
The witness stated that he had never seen the woman before.
Please state your name and address.
announce to publicly tell people about something:
The chairman announced his resignation.
The results will be announced tomorrow.
We will announce the winners next Sunday.
They were announcing the train times over the loudspeaker system.
declare to say something very firmly:
‘My personal life is none of your business,’ she declared.
mention to talk about someone or something, especially without giving many details:
Did Tom mention anything about what happened at school?
Your name was mentioned!
express to let someone know your feelings by putting them into words:
Young children often find it difficult to express their emotions.
note/remark formal to say that you have noticed that something is true – used especially in formal writing:
We have already noted that most old people live alone.
Someone once remarked that the problem with computers is that they only give you answers.
add to say something more, after what has already been said:
He added that he thought it could be done fairly cheaply.
point out to mention something that seems particularly important or relevant:
Dr Graham points out that most children show some signs of abnormal behaviour.
It’s worth pointing out that few people actually die of this disease.
air to talk about your opinions, worries, or the things you disagree about: air your views/grievances/differences:
The programme will give listeners the chance to air their views about immigration.
Workers were able to air their grievances.
voice to talk publicly about your feelings or about whether you approve or disapprove of something formal: voice concern/support/doubt/fears etc:
The president has already voiced his support for the proposal.
She voiced concern for the safety of the hostages.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

condition how something looks and whether it is damaged, working etc or not:
The price of used cars varies according to their condition.
How well your plants will grow depends on the quality and condition of the soil.
The house is in very good condition.
state the condition of something at a particular time – use this especially when something is in bad condition because it has not been well looked after:
One of the things people complain of most is the state of the sidewalks.
When I got back home, I was horrified to see what a terrible state the kitchen was in.
in (a) bad/terrible/awful condition (also in a bad state especially British English) if something is in bad condition, it is damaged, dirty, not working properly, etc:
The road was in a very bad condition.
The inspectors said the bridge was in a bad state and potentially dangerous.
shabby used especially about clothes, furniture, or buildings that are in bad condition because they are old and have been used a lot:
His clothes were shabby and ill-fitting.
They lived in a shabby one-room apartment.
tattered used about clothes or books that are old and torn:
The old man clutched a tattered copy of ‘War and Peace’.
The shirt was now tattered beyond recognition.
dilapidated used about a building that is in very bad condition because it has not been looked after:
He shared a dilapidated house with five other people.
The hotel looked slightly dilapidated.
run-down used about a building or area that is in bad condition, especially because the people who live there do not have enough money to look after it properly:
He found lodgings at a run-down motel.
We lived in a run-down part of the city.
derelict used about something such as a house or piece of land that is in very bad condition, because it has been empty for a very long time:
In the middle of town is a derelict building that used to be the school.
The land behind the factory is stony and derelict.
battered used about something that is old and in bad condition because it has been used a lot and treated roughly:
There was nothing in his office except for a few battered chairs.
Alex and Lisa used to drive around town in a battered old Fiat Uno.
rickety used about furniture and other structures that are in such bad condition that they look as if they would break if you tried to use them:
The staircase was old and rickety.
They sat around the card table on rickety old chairs.
a rickety bamboo fence
clapped-out British English informal, beat-up American English informal [usually before noun] used about a vehicle or machine that is so old that it does not work properly:
She drives an old beat-up Ford.
He was using a clapped-out old typewriter.
be falling apart especially spoken if something is falling apart, it is gradually breaking into pieces, because it is old or badly made:
I need some new shoes. These are falling apart.
be on its last legs informal if a vehicle or machine is on its last legs, it has been used so much and is in such bad condition that you will soon not be able to use it any more:
The washing machine was on its last legs.
have seen better days informal if something has seen better days, it is not in as good condition as it was:
The carpets, curtains, and cushions had all seen better days but still looked quite pretty.
She lived in an old Victorian house that had certainly seen better days.
in good condition something that is in good condition is not broken and has no marks or other things wrong with it:
The car hadn’t been used much, and was in very good condition.
The charity is accepting toys and clothing in good condition.
in good shape in good condition – used especially about a person or part of their body, or about something that has had a lot of use or is rather old:
Doctor Morrissey told her that her leg was healing well, and was now in very good shape.
To avoid accidents, it’s important to check that all your tools are in good shape before starting.
in perfect/mint condition something that is in perfect or mint condition looks as good or works as well as when it was new, especially because it has not been used or touched very much:
The book is over 100 years old, but it’s still in perfect condition.
The car had been kept in the garage for 20 years and was in mint condition.
as good as new something that is as good as new is almost as good as when it was new – used about things that have recently been cleaned or repaired:
I’ve just had the bike serviced, and it looks as good as new.
working conditions
An office must be able to provide safe working conditions.
living conditions
Living conditions in the camp were dreadful.
physical conditions
Many teachers have to work in poor physical conditions.
poor conditions
The refugees are living in camps in very poor conditions.
appalling/dreadful conditions (=very bad)
Some of the animals were being kept in appalling conditions.
overcrowded/crowded conditions
Families here are living in dirty, overcrowded conditions.
insanitary/unhygenic conditions (=dirty)
Diseases spread quickly among people living in insanitary conditions.
cramped conditions (=without enough space)
The hostages were held in extremely cramped conditions.
inhumane conditions
Live animals were transported under inhumane conditions.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

country an area of land controlled by its own government, president, king etc:
Thailand is a beautiful country.
Which country would you most like to visit?
nation a country, considered especially in relation to its people and its political and economic structure:
The events shocked the whole nation.
The US is the most powerful nation in the world.
Leaders of the world’s major industrialized nations attended the meeting.
state a country considered as a political organization with its own government:
They believe that Scotland should be an independent sovereign state.
Most European states joined the Council of Europe.
power a country that is very strong and important:
a meeting of the great powers
Britain is still a world power.
superpower one of the most powerful countries in the world:
During the Cuban Missile Crisis there was a real danger of conflict between the two world superpowers.
land literary a country – used in stories:
He told them about his journeys to foreign lands.
a traveller from a far-off land

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

money what you use to buy things, in the form of notes or coins:
He spent all his money on computer equipment.
cash money in the form of coins and notes:
I didn’t have any cash with me.
currency the money used in a particular country:
The dollar gained in value against other currencies.
a single European currency
change money in the form of coins of low value:
Do you have any small change?
a pocketful of loose change
note British English, bill American English a piece of paper money:
a £20 note
a $5 bill
coin a flat round piece of metal used as money:
She put some coins in the parking meter.
He took a coin out of his pocket.
a ten-pence/50-cent etc piece a coin worth a particular amount
say to tell someone something, using words:
‘I really ought to go,’ she said.
Lauren said she’d probably be late.
state to say something, especially in a definite or formal way – used in official contexts:
The witness stated that he had never seen the woman before.
Please state your name and address.
announce to publicly tell people about something:
The chairman announced his resignation.
The results will be announced tomorrow.
We will announce the winners next Sunday.
They were announcing the train times over the loudspeaker system.
declare to say something very firmly:
‘My personal life is none of your business,’ she declared.
mention to talk about someone or something, especially without giving many details:
Did Tom mention anything about what happened at school?
Your name was mentioned!
express to let someone know your feelings by putting them into words:
Young children often find it difficult to express their emotions.
comment to say what your opinion is about someone or something:
The prime minister was asked to comment on the crisis.
note/remark formal to say that you have noticed that something is true – used especially in formal writing:
We have already noted that most old people live alone.
Someone once remarked that the problem with computers is that they only give you answers.
add to say something more, after what has already been said:
He added that he thought it could be done fairly cheaply.
point out to mention something that seems particularly important or relevant:
Dr Graham points out that most children show some signs of abnormal behaviour.
It’s worth pointing out that few people actually die of this disease.
air to talk about your opinions, worries, or the things you disagree about: air your views/grievances/differences:
The programme will give listeners the chance to air their views about immigration.
Workers were able to air their grievances.
voice to talk publicly about your feelings or about whether you approve or disapprove of something formal: voice concern/support/doubt/fears etc:
The president has already voiced his support for the proposal.
She voiced concern for the safety of the hostages.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

say to tell someone something, using words:
‘I really ought to go,’ she said.
Lauren said she’d probably be late.
state to say something, especially in a definite or formal way – used in official contexts:
The witness stated that he had never seen the woman before.
Please state your name and address.
announce to publicly tell people about something:
The chairman announced his resignation.
The results will be announced tomorrow.
We will announce the winners next Sunday.
They were announcing the train times over the loudspeaker system.
declare to say something very firmly:
‘My personal life is none of your business,’ she declared.
mention to talk about someone or something, especially without giving many details:
Did Tom mention anything about what happened at school?
Your name was mentioned!
express to let someone know your feelings by putting them into words:
Young children often find it difficult to express their emotions.
comment to say what your opinion is about someone or something:
The prime minister was asked to comment on the crisis.
note/remark formal to say that you have noticed that something is true – used especially in formal writing:
We have already noted that most old people live alone.
Someone once remarked that the problem with computers is that they only give you answers.
add to say something more, after what has already been said:
He added that he thought it could be done fairly cheaply.
point out to mention something that seems particularly important or relevant:
Dr Graham points out that most children show some signs of abnormal behaviour.
It’s worth pointing out that few people actually die of this disease.
air to talk about your opinions, worries, or the things you disagree about: air your views/grievances/differences:
The programme will give listeners the chance to air their views about immigration.
Workers were able to air their grievances.
voice to talk publicly about your feelings or about whether you approve or disapprove of something formal: voice concern/support/doubt/fears etc:
The president has already voiced his support for the proposal.
She voiced concern for the safety of the hostages.
whisper to say something very quietly, using your breath rather than your full voice:
‘Don’t wake the baby,’ Jenny whispered.
mumble to say something quietly without pronouncing the words clearly:
He mumbled his thanks.
mutter to say something quietly, especially when you are annoyed but do not want someone to hear you complaining:
‘This is ridiculous,’ he muttered under his breath.
She muttered something about having to go home early.
murmur to say something in a soft slow gentle voice:
She stroked his hair and murmured, ‘Don’t worry. You’ll be all right.’
growl to say something in a low angry voice:
‘As I was saying,’ Lewis growled, ‘it needs to be finished today.’
snarl to say something in a nasty angry way:
‘Get out of my way!’ he snarled.
exclaim to say something suddenly and loudly:
‘How beautiful!’ she exclaimed.
blurt out to suddenly say something without thinking, especially something embarrassing or secret:
It was partly nervousness that had made him blurt out the question.
stammer/stutter to speak with a lot of pauses and repeated sounds, because you have a speech problem, or because you are nervous or excited:
‘I’ll, I’ll only be a m-moment,’ he stammered.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

state
̈ɪsteɪt
See: lie in state

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲