Definition, synonyms and related words
plural of nation
"The treaty was signed by twelve nations to establish a unified trade zone."
In plain English: Nations are large groups of people who live together in their own country and share a common government, culture, or history.
"Many nations came together to sign the peace treaty."
Usage: Use "nations" to refer to multiple distinct sovereign states or large groups of people sharing a common identity. Do not use it as a singular concept; if you mean the world in general, say "the nations" only when listing many of them together.
Derived from Latin nationem (the noun form of natio), the term originally meant birth or stock, referring to people who share common descent and origin. It later evolved in English to denote large groups of people with shared culture, history, or political sovereignty.