city state

/ˌsɪdi steɪt/
IPA guide

Other forms: city states

Definitions of city state
  1. noun
    a state consisting of a sovereign city
    synonyms: city-state
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    examples:
    Carthage
    an ancient city state on the north African coast near modern Tunis; founded by Phoenicians; destroyed and rebuilt by Romans; razed by Arabs in 697
    type of:
    body politic, commonwealth, country, land, nation, res publica, state
    a politically organized body of people under a single government
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