city state
Definition
Noun: A city-state is an independent political entity that consists of a single sovereign city and its surrounding dependent territories. It functions as a self-governing state, with its own government and laws, centered on an urban core.
Usage
The term "city-state" is used to describe a specific, historically significant form of sovereign political organization. * It is a countable noun. * It is typically used in historical, political, and geographical contexts.
Examples
- Ancient Athens was a powerful city-state in Greece.
- Singapore is a modern example of a city-state.
- The Renaissance city-states of Italy, like Florence and Venice, were centers of art and commerce.
- The treaty was signed between two neighboring city-states.
Advanced Usage
- The concept is often discussed in political theory when examining alternatives to the modern nation-state model.
- The hyphenated form "city-state" is standard, though the open form "city state" is sometimes seen.
Variants and Related Words
- Polis (noun): The ancient Greek term for a city-state, encompassing not just the city but the idea of its citizen community.
- Microstate (noun): A very small independent state, which may or may not be a city-state (e.g., Monaco is both a microstate and a city-state).
Synonyms
- Sovereign city
- Independent city
Different Meanings
The term "city-state" has a single, specific meaning related to political sovereignty. It does not refer to a regular city within a larger federal state (e.g., New York City is not a city-state).
Noun
-
a state consisting of a sovereign city
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