the way something is with respect to its main attributes
"the current state of knowledge"
"his state of health"
"in a weak financial state"
the group of people comprising the government of a sovereign state
"the state has lowered its income tax"
a politically organized body of people under a single government
"the state has elected a new president"
"African nations"
"students who had come to the nation's capitol"
"the country's largest manufacturer"
"an industrialized land"
(chemistry) the three traditional states of matter are solids (fixed shape and volume) and liquids (fixed volume and shaped by the container) and gases (filling the container)
"the solid state of water is called ice"
the federal department in the United States that sets and maintains foreign policies
"the Department of State was created in 1789"
A condition; a set of circumstances applying at any given time.
"The new governor addressed the press during a visit to her state."
A complete description of a system, consisting of parameters that determine all properties of the system.
A current governing polity.
In plain English: A state is a specific condition or situation that something is in at a particular time.
"The government decided to declare emergency state in the affected region."
Usage: Use state to describe specific conditions or situations rather than general moods, and avoid confusing it with status, which often implies standing in society or official position. In technical contexts like computer science, remember that a state represents a snapshot of parameters defining all current properties of a system.
To declare to be a fact.
"After hours of investigation, the detective finally stated that the suspect was indeed guilty."
In plain English: To state something means to say it clearly and directly.
"She decided to state her opinion clearly during the meeting."
Stately.
"The old mansion stood stately against the twilight sky, its tall columns and wide windows exuding an air of timeless dignity."
In plain English: When something is described as state, it means it is in its current condition or situation.
"The state of the road made driving very difficult."
State University, as the shortened form of any public university name.
"She plans to attend State University next fall to study engineering."
The word "state" entered English around 1200 from Old French and Latin, originally describing a manner of standing or position. Its meaning shifted to refer to a polity in the 14th century, while the verb form first appeared at the start of the 16th century.