INDEX:
country/nation
1. a country
2. a country that is partly or completely controlled by another
3. land that belongs to a particular country
4. all the people who live in a particular country
5. someone from a particular country
6. the legal right to live in a particular country
7. the country where you were born
8. having a great love of your country
9. people who want their country or area to be independent
10. happening in, or relating to a particular country
11. belonging to, provided by, or involving a particular country
12. happening in or involving a lot of countries
country/countryside
13. the area away from towns and cities
14. in or from the area away from towns or cities
RELATED WORDS
come from a country : ↑ COME FROM
leave a country : ↑ LEAVE
an area of a country : ↑ AREA
see also
↑ LAND/GROUND
↑ WORLD
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1. a country
▷ country /ˈkʌntri/ [countable noun]
a separate independent area of land whose people have their own government, president, king etc :
▪ Brazil is one of the biggest countries in the world.
▪ The northeast of the country will experience heavy rainfall and high winds.
▪ Most people in this country are worried about the economy.
all over/all around the country
▪ Riots and demonstrations broke out all over the country after the assassination of Martin Luther King.
▷ nation /ˈneɪʃ ə n/ [countable noun]
a country considered especially in relation to its people and its social and economic conditions and structures :
▪ Japan has become one of the richest nations in the world.
▪ Representatives from the world’s leading industrial nations will meet in Geneva.
nation of
▪ We are a nation of both great wealth and terrible poverty.
▷ state /steɪt/ [countable noun]
a country considered especially as a political unit that has a particular type of political organization :
▪ In 1830, Greece became an independent state.
▪ The state of Israel was created in 1948.
a democratic/one-party etc state
with that type of government
▪ For more than 70 years, the former Soviet Union was a one-party state.
member state
a country belonging to an international organization
▪ the member states of the European Union
▷ power /ˈpaʊəʳ/ [countable noun]
a strong country that is able to influence other countries politically or economically :
▪ The western powers hardly knew how to react to this threat.
▪ France was the only European power not to sign the treaty.
world power
having influence all over the world
▪ Germany’s strong industrial base has helped maintain its status as a major world power.
▷ superpower /ˈsuːpəʳˌpaʊəʳ, ˈsjuː-ǁˈsuː-/ [countable noun]
a nation that has very great military and political power :
▪ The book traces the emergence of China as a superpower in the 21st century.
▷ land /lænd/ [countable noun]
country - use this especially in stories and in formal speeches :
▪ His travels in foreign lands provided him with the inspiration for many of his poems and songs.
▪ Our story takes place in a far-off land, long, long ago.
2. a country that is partly or completely controlled by another
▷ colony /ˈkɒləniǁˈkɑː-/ [countable noun]
a country that has no independent government of its own and is controlled by another, more powerful country :
▪ The United States was once a colony of Great Britain.
▪ In 1980, the former British colony of Rhodesia gained independence as the Republic of Zimbabwe.
colonial /kəˈləʊniəl/ [adjective]
▪ The people of Africa have successfully fought against colonial rule.
3. land that belongs to a particular country
▷ territory /ˈterɪt ə ri, ˈterət ə riǁ-tɔːri/ [uncountable noun]
▪ Colombian guerrillas had reportedly been operating in Venezuelan territory.
▪ Ecevit campaigned in May 1991 to have foreign troops removed from Turkish territory.
▷ soil /sɔɪl/ [uncountable noun]
on British/French/US etc soil
on land that belongs to Britain, France, the US etc - use this to talk especially about important events :
▪ The treaty will be signed on US soil.
▪ This was the first time that the Pope had set foot on Cuban soil.
4. all the people who live in a particular country
▷ the people /ðə ˈpiːp ə l/ [singular noun]
all the people of a country :
▪ It was a fair election, the people have made their decision, and we must all accept it.
the American/British/Thai etc people
▪ UK Prime Minister Tony Blair said the British should stand shoulder to shoulder with the American people.
my/our people
▪ ‘Millions of our people are still victims of poverty,’ said Mandela.
the people of
▪ To what extent did the people of Italy support the new government?
▷ the nation/the country /ðə ˈneɪʃ ə n, ðə ˈkʌntri/ [singular noun]
all the people of a country, considered together as a group - use this especially to talk about important events that affect everyone in the country :
▪ The President will make a radio broadcast to the nation this evening.
▪ When Churchill died, the whole nation went into mourning.
▪ The president seems to no longer care what the country thinks.
▪ People think our country has lost its sense of purpose and direction.
▷ population /ˌpɒpjɑˈleɪʃ ə nǁˌpɑː-/ [countable noun usually singular]
the total number of people who live in a particular country or the total number of a particular group of people :
▪ In many Western European countries the population is no longer increasing.
population of
▪ The population of Germany is about 80 million.
the Jewish/Russian/Asian etc population
▪ The country’s Jewish population was angered by the prime minister’s remarks.
5. someone from a particular country
▷ citizen /ˈsɪtɪz ə n, ˈsɪtəz ə n/ [countable noun]
someone from a particular country, especially someone who has rights in that country, such as the right to vote and the right to live there permanently :
▪ Noriko’s a Japanese citizen, but her parents are originally from South Korea.
▪ Fahd became a British citizen after living there for several years.
citizen of
▪ Claire is now a citizen of the US.
▷ national /ˈnæʃ ə nəl/ [countable noun]
someone who is a citizen of a particular country - use this about someone who is living in another country :
Polish/American etc national
▪ There are many Russian nationals living in Frankfurt.
foreign national
▪ During the war, foreign nationals were forced to leave the country.
▷ a native of /ə ˈneɪtɪv ɒv/ [noun phrase] formal
someone who was born in a particular country, used especially to talk about the life of a famous person who moved to another country :
a native of Spain/France/Scotland etc
▪ Picasso was a native of Spain, although he spent much of his life in France.
6. the legal right to live in a particular country
▷ nationality /ˌnæʃəˈnælɪti, ˌnæʃəˈnæləti/ [countable/uncountable noun]
▪ The application form asks you to state your name, age, and nationality.
French/German/British etc nationality
▪ Despite being born in Germany, these children do not have an automatic right to German nationality.
dual nationality
nationality of two countries
▪ Jeanne has dual nationality because her mother is French and her father is English.
nationality of
▪ The nationalities of the plane crash victims have not yet been released.
▷ citizenship /ˈsɪtɪz ə nʃɪp, ˈsɪtəz ə nʃɪp/ [uncountable noun]
the legal right to live in a country, use this especially when this right is given to someone who comes from another country :
▪ After five years in the US, foreign nationals can apply for full US citizenship.
grant somebody citizenship
officially give someone citizenship
▪ Krebs was granted French citizenship in 1992.
7. the country where you were born
▷ home country /ˌhəʊm ˈkʌntri/ [countable noun]
▪ Many of the refugees are keen to return to their home countries now that the fighting has stopped.
▪ Jesper Parnevik became the first Swedish golfer to win a European Tour event in his home country.
▪ After spending seven years in Japan, Claude returned to his home country of France.
▷ native land /ˌneɪtɪv ˈlænd/ [countable noun] formal or written
the country where you were born :
▪ Connery is a nationalist and fiercely proud of his native land.
▪ Thousands of Irish families left their native land and went to America in search of a better life.
8. having a great love of your country
▷ patriotic /ˌpætriˈɒtɪk◂, ˌpeɪ-ǁˌpeɪtriˈɑːtɪk◂/ [adjective]
▪ At Llewellyn’s funeral service, she was remembered as a patriotic American who had served her country well.
patriotic duty
something you must do if you love your country
▪ Voting is part of your patriotic duty.
patriot /ˈpætriət, -triɒt, ˈpeɪ-ǁˈpeɪtriət, -triɑːt/ [countable noun]
someone who has a great love for their country: :
▪ De Gaulle will always be remembered as a great French patriot.
patriotism /ˈpætriətɪz ə m, ˈpeɪ-ǁˈpeɪ-/ [uncountable noun]
great love for your country: :
▪ One of McCarthy’s most evil tactics was to question the patriotism of his opponents.
▷ nationalistic /ˌnæʃ ə nəˈlɪstɪk◂/ [adjective]
someone who is nationalistic is very proud of their own country, but often has no respect for people from other countries because they believe that their own country is much better :
▪ The senator’s strong nationalistic views are frightening to many liberals.
▪ As nationalistic feelings grew, life became increasingly difficult for immigrants.
9. people who want their country or area to be independent
▷ nationalist /ˈnæʃ ə nəlɪst, ˈnæʃ ə nələst/ [countable noun]
▪ His father was a nationalist during the civil war.
▪ Indian nationalists finally won independence for their country in 1947.
nationalist [adjective only before noun]
▪ The Scottish Nationalist Party wants Scotland to be independent of the UK.
▪ Nationalist candidates managed to win only one seat in the elections.
▪ The newspaper has campaigned vigorously for the nationalist cause.
nationalism [uncountable noun]
nationalistic feelings: :
▪ The end of the Cold War was followed by an increase in nationalism in Eastern Europe.
10. happening in, or relating to a particular country
▷ national /ˈnæʃ ə nəl/ [adjective only before noun]
happening in or relating to all of a particular country, not just part of it :
▪ The national news comes on at 18:30.
▪ Winners of the regional competitions compete in the national finals.
▷ domestic /dəˈmestɪk/ [adjective only before noun]
happening in or relating to your own country, not other countries :
domestic issue
▪ The President’s speech covered a range of foreign and domestic issues.
domestic market
when a company sells goods in the country where it is based
▪ Volkswagen produce cars both for the domestic market and for export.
domestic flight
within a country
▪ Security on domestic flights in the US has been stepped up considerably.
▷ internal /ɪnˈtɜːnlǁ-ɜːr-/ [adjective only before noun]
internal affairs/problems/matters
things that concern a particular country - use this especially to say that foreign countries should not become involved in them :
▪ Each country has the right to control its own internal affairs.
▪ Western countries have been accused of interfering in Brazil’s internal problems.
▷ at home /ət ˈhəʊm/ [adverb]
events that happen at home happen within your own country and do not involve any other countries, used especially when you are comparing what is happening in your country with what is happening in foreign countries :
▪ Sales of electrical goods have increased, both at home and abroad.
▪ Shocked by the events at home, the president cut short his trip to Europe.
11. belonging to, provided by, or involving a particular country
▷ national /ˈnæʃ ə nəl/ [adjective only before noun]
▪ Alitalia is the national airline of Italy.
▪ a national policy for energy
▪ the National Museum of Film and Photography in Bradford
▷ federal /ˈfed ə rəl/ [adjective only before noun]
controlled by or involving the central government, rather than the governments of the separate states that make up a large country :
▪ Medicaid is a large federal health care program for the poor.
▪ Several federal officials have been charged with corruption.
▪ Most people want to see new federal gun laws introduced.
12. happening in or involving a lot of countries
▷ international /ˌɪntəʳˈnæʃ ə nəl◂/ [adjective]
▪ This is CNN, bringing you all the latest international news.
▪ an international agreement on the disposal of toxic waste
▪ The goal of the program is to increase international understanding and good will.
▷ multinational /ˌmʌltɪˈnæʃ ə nəl◂/ [adjective only before noun]
multinational company/firm/corporation etc
a big company that trades and employs people in several different countries :
▪ The government is attempting to stimulate the economy by attracting multinational corporations.
▪ Multinational companies have often been accused of employing cheap labour in developing countries.
multinational [countable noun]
▪ Several multinationals were fined for environmental pollution.
▷ multilateral /ˌmʌltɪˈlæt ə rəl◂/ [adjective only before noun]
multilateral agreement/treaty/negotiations etc
involving or done by the governments of several different countries :
▪ EU ministers proposed a multilateral agreement on arms control.
13. the area away from towns and cities
▷ the country /ðə ˈkʌntri/ [singular noun]
▪ They’ve gone to the country for the weekend.
in the country
▪ Clarisa didn’t care for New York, she wanted to live in the country.
▪ We’ve found a lovely little cottage in the country.
▪ Living in the country, you feel much closer to nature.
▷ countryside /ˈkʌntrisaɪd/ [uncountable noun]
use this especially when you are talking about the beauty or good qualities of this kind of area :
▪ Somerset is famous for its rolling hills and beautiful countryside.
the countryside
▪ She went to an expensive girls’ school situated deep in the heart of the countryside.
countryside of
▪ The countryside of Tuscany is a wonderful landscape of fields and valleys, with many historic monuments.
the French/Sussex/German etc countryside
▪ The Provençal countryside provided the inspiration for many artists.
14. in or from the area away from towns or cities
▷ country /ˈkʌntri/ [adjective only before noun]
▪ It took us an hour to reach the farm house, driving along winding country roads.
▪ Old country churches are a big tourist attraction.
▪ Brattleboro offers all the pleasures of a small country town.
▪ Umbria is a wonderful region where life is simple and the people are decent country folk.
▷ rural /ˈrʊ ə rəl/ [adjective usually before noun]
use this especially to talk about social problems or conditions that exist in the country :
▪ a rural development program
▪ There continues to be a shortage of jobs for young people in many rural areas.
▪ The committee will investigate ways of recruiting doctors and nurses for rural communities.
▪ At that time, much of rural Ireland was desperately poor.
▷ rustic /ˈrʌstɪk/ [adjective]
use this especially to talk about things or people in the countryside that are interesting, attractive, or old-fashioned :
rustic charm/beauty/simplicity
▪ American tourists are fascinated by the village’s rustic charm.
▪ The rustic beauty of the countryside attracted many prominent citizens to Marin County.
rustic scene
▪ The picture showed a typical rustic scene.