Noun
The two countries have a lot in common.
They drove across the country from California to New York.
They are living in different parts of the country.
The whole country was stunned by the news.
The President has the support of most of the country.
He moved to the north country to fish and hunt.
We went camping in the hill country.
They drove through miles of open country.
She lives out in the country.
They prefer the country to the city.
Adjective
plain country living among unpretentious people
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Recent Examples on the Web
Leaders in the United States and other countries have expressed growing concern over TikTok’s ties to the Chinese government.
—
Annie Martin, Orlando Sentinel, 6 Apr. 2023
The crisis is amplified in Israel’s periphery, where 63% of medical professionals have obtained their degree from countries that will no longer be recognized.
—Noa Amouyal, Sun Sentinel, 6 Apr. 2023
The United States, Britain and several other countries sent only junior representatives to the meeting, who stood up and left the room when Lvova-Belova was speaking.
—Karen Deyoung, Anchorage Daily News, 6 Apr. 2023
Many would be from other countries, just starting out without much money and literally hungry.
—Amy Kaufman, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2023
Dozens of reporters from other agencies and other Western countries were also expelled from Eastern Europe around this time.
—Bill Kovarik, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2023
Hackers don’t always read through their emails before sending them, and some of them are from other countries where English is not their first language.
—Kurt Knutsson, Fox News, 5 Apr. 2023
As more wealth is created in emerging economies, such as China and Brazil, more meat is eaten, and the U.S. consumes more meat than any other country.
—Cara Korte, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2023
The majority of these papers were conducted in the U.S. or U.K., though several were conducted elsewhere, and most involved online samples, which often involved participants from different countries.
—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 5 Apr. 2023
With all affected provinces sharing borders with Cameroon and Gabon, WHO has assessed the risk of a multi-country outbreak as high.
—Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 30 Mar. 2023
Both airports have benefited from American’s push to dominate mid-country airports.
—Ted Reed, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2023
The current West Africa clade would be divided into two designations, with the large multi-country outbreak that is currently underway belonging to what would be known as clade 3.
—Helen Branswell, STAT, 13 June 2022
In an effort to salvage their relationship, Rick decides to take the entire Mitchell family on a cross-country road trip to see Katie off.
—WIRED, 10 Feb. 2023
Take it with you on a cross-country road trip, while climbing Kilimanjaro, or while visiting bucket-list destinations such as Machu Picchu.
—Amanda Ogle, Travel + Leisure, 9 Feb. 2023
The race to beat Purja captivated the mountaineering world this summer, as Harila—a former elite cross-country skier—ascended multiple peaks in the early spring.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 28 Oct. 2022
American Olympic cross-country skier Kevin Bolger grew up in Wisconsin.
—Nathaniel Herz, Anchorage Daily News, 28 Feb. 2022
An Olympic cross-country skier sustained a nasty injury while competing in the men’s freestyle mass race at the Winter Games in Beijing on Sunday.
—Philip Ellis, Men’s Health, 21 Feb. 2022
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘country.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
In this article, we’d like to share some idioms which use the name of countries and nationalities. If you know any other idiom that fit our list, please share in comments.
1. Indian Summer: a period of warm weather in autumn.
-Both the Uk and Ireland have been enjoying an Indian summer over the past weeks.
2. It’s all Greek to me: it is too hard to understand.
-I don’t understand what he is saying. It is all Greek to me!
3. A Young Turk: a young person who rebels against authority or expectations.
-He was a bit of a young Turk recent years but he’s calmed down nowadays.
4. Pardon my French: used to apologize before swearing.
-Pardon my French but he was a total asshole.
5. Dutch Courage: The courage you get from drinking alcohol.
-I’ll have a couple of drinks to give me Dutch courage.
6. Go Dutch: share the expenses, cost of something, especially a meal, equally.
-She insisted so went Dutch for everything.
7. When in Rome, do as the Romans do: when visiting another country, you should behave like the people there.
-I don’t dance usually but on holiday, well, when in Rome…
8. Take a French leave: to absent without permission.
-Is she sick again or taking another French leave?
9. Talk for England: to talk a lot. a person could win a prize for talking on behalf of their country if there was a competition for talking.
-When she starts talking, she can talk for England.
10. A Mexican Standoff: a situation in which no one emerges a clear winner.
-In the battle over bedtime, the parents and their son are at a Mexican standoff
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A noun can change form to indicate whether it’s possessive, plural, or both, so how does this apply to the noun “country”? For example, what’s the difference between “countries” and “country’s”?
The difference is that “countries” is the plural form of the singular noun “country,” and we use it to refer to many different countries at once. “Country’s” is the singular possessive form of “country,” and we use it to indicate something belonging or pertaining to that country or its people.
Pluralizing nouns and using apostrophes is reasonably straightforward. You’ll just need to memorize a few spelling rules for adding suffixes and where to place the apostrophe when it’s singular possessive or plural possessive. In this article, we’ll walk you through each instance with examples.
The Meaning of Country
Knowing the true meaning of our root word can help us understand how to apply various other grammatical rules to it as we adapt it to fit our usage.
For starters, The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a country as “a political state or nation or its territory” (source).
The word “country” first emerged to describe a person’s native land or any geographical area in the 1300s. However, it did hint towards political powers that governed in the regions as well (source).
It most often referred to the common people living in the land outside of the walled cities. Still, even now, we sometimes use “country” as an adjective to describe people who live in rural areas or cultural aspects that we associate with rural life.
With the rise of popular governments came a greater association of the noun form with a political state or territory. For more on the development of countries and nations, make sure you read “Country vs. Nation: Similarities and Differences.”
“Country” is a count noun, as opposed to being a mass noun. This simply means that the word has a plural form, and we would be able to signify one single country or many countries by applying the plural form, which we will explore more in the sections to come.
Even though we use the word “country” to describe a land and its people, you may be surprised to discover that it is not a collective noun. A collective noun is something we use to show a group of nouns, such as a flock of birds or a pile of books. Instead, “country” is just a singular, common noun.
The Key Differences Between “Countries” and “Country’s”
When we make a noun plural, the most common suffixes we use are “s” and “es.” There are, however, irregular suffixes outside of these two. For more on this, make sure you check out the article, “Children’s or Childrens’: Understanding Proper Usage of the Possessive Noun.”
The Plural Form of Country: Countries
Fortunately, pluralizing the noun “country” is fairly simple. Since “country” ends on a -y, we must modify it before we can add the suffix to pluralize it.
The common rule for such cases is to drop the -y and add -ies. This same rule applies to most words ending in a “y,” like “pony,” and “colony.” We can pluralize all three of these by dropping the “y” that appears at the end of the word and adding -ies in its place (source).
- Country→countries
- Pony→ponies
- Colony→colonies
The resulting plural noun “countries” refers to more than one political state or region. Thus, we use this phrase to speak about many countries simultaneously, either the geographical landmass or a population.
Examples Using “Countries”
Let’s look at a few examples of “countries” in a sentence:
- I have visited five different countries.
- I love coastal countries because the idea of being so close to the ocean is appealing.
- The Olympics pits top athletes from many countries against each other.
The Singular Possessive Form of Country: Is Country’s Correct?
Unlike the previous examples, when we want to form the possessive of “country,” we do not need to modify the root word. Instead, we add an apostrophe (‘) and an “s” after the “y.”
- Country→country’s
- Pony→ pony’s
- Colony→colony’s
We use the apostrophe to show ownership, as when something belongs or pertains to someone or something (source).
So, instead of us speaking about many different countries, we use “country’s” to speak about something pertaining to that specific country, such as “the country’s beaches.”
Notice how the noun now functions as a possessive determiner or possessive adjective. “Country’s” specifies that the noun “beaches” belongs to that particular country.
Examples Using “Country’s”
Here, we’ve provided a few more examples to help you become familiar with the concept. Note how the possessive determiner goes before the noun that it refers to.
- I don’t agree with my country’s stance on this issue.
- George Washington served as the country’s president between 1789 and 1797.
- I dream of playing for my country’s national team.
Let’s also consider the following conversation that depicts the possessive form:
Speaker 1: Was it difficult to apply for residency in Australia?
Speaker 2: Yes, this country’s immigration laws made it very tough.
Here, the subject of discussion is Australia’s laws. Speaker 1 has already mentioned which country they’re discussing, so it would be repetitive for Speaker 2 to say it again in their response.
Hence, Speaker 2 phrases their sentence in a way that demonstrates the possessive form of the root word, “country.”
These are the same concepts we discussed in a separate article dealing with “parties” and “party’s” — be sure to read that article for further clarification on these differences.
Alternatives to “Country’s”
Besides the point we made above, structuring a sentence to use the possessive form “country’s” can be rather clumsy. You may want to try and avoid building your sentences in this way, particularly if you are struggling to come to terms with the difference between “countries” and “country’s.”
One alternative might be to use the country’s name instead, as in “England’s royal family” or “Japan’s Olympic athletes,” but this can quickly become repetitive.
You can use terms like “nation’s,” “state’s,” or “nation state’s.” Depending on the context, when referring to the people of a territory, you can say “people’s,” “tribe’s,” “population’s,” “community’s,” “citizen’s,” etc. (source).
When referring to the territory or government itself, you might use “land’s,” “realm’s,” “kingdom’s,” “dominion’s,” “republic’s,’ etc., depending on the government or territory you’re referring to.
The Underlying Grammatical Rules
The pluralization rule we looked at that applies to the word “country” made things rather easy. But this rule is not without its exceptions, and it would be a good idea for us to explore those applications to enrich your understanding.
Consider the noun “boy,” which ends in a “y”; however, when we pluralize it, we say “boys.”
The letter that comes before the “y” is important in making this distinction. When this second-to-last word is a vowel (a, e, i, o, u), then we can get by with only using an “s.” This rule prevents having a mess of vowels — like “keys” becoming “keies.”
When the letter before the “y” is a consonant, then you can safely apply the “Drop the -y and add -ies” rule.
The Possessive Form
Most of the time, we show possession by simply saying who the object belongs to along with an apostrophe and an -s, as in “that is Frank’s book.” This proper noun is in the singular possessive form — Frank may share his book with other people, but Frank would still be the book’s owner.
Grammarians consider adding the -s onto words that already end in an “s” to be unnecessary. In which case, we’d use something like “Charles’ homework,” where we only add the apostrophe (source).
Since most plurals end in an “s,” removing the second “s” is common when we show both the plural form and the possessive. However, we go into this more thoroughly in a section to come.
We can refer to ownership in a broader sense, too. For example, we can mention that an object belongs to a group of people, or even abstractly, as with inanimate objects, such as “the car’s engine.”
For us to modify a word into the possessive form, not much changes — for the most part, we would still use an apostrophe and an -s, like “The French summer can get quite warm. The country’s average can reach 95°F.”
The Plural Possessive Form: Countries’
There is a third option too, which we have not touched on yet but is also worth examining. It draws from both forms we’ve looked at and combines them into one. There may be circumstances where we need to show both pluralization and possession, so let us discuss what this looks like.
Applying the Pluralized Possessive Form
Consider this example involving athletes from South American countries:
- South American countries’ athletes typically have excellent ball skills.
This sentence is speaking to many countries at once, which we gathered from the use of “South American.” Furthermore, observing that they’re speaking of a general area instead of a specific place, we infer that more than one country is involved here.
But the subject of this sentence is not merely the countries themselves, but rather the people born there and their soccer skills. This means that we need to include a possessive determiner to signify possession as well.
Some Examples Using “Countries’”
To help solidify this, here are some examples to think about:
- Many countries’ political leaders travel often.
- I like to look at my passport to see all the different countries’ stamps.
- In Europe, it’s common for stores to accept neighboring countries’ currencies.
Pronouncing “Countries’”
Knowing what to write or type is one thing, but how should we pronounce the plural possessive form of “countries”? Should we pronounce it the same way as “countries” or as though it has two “s’s” at the end?
For example, in those cases where people use an -’s for a word that already ends in an -s, some feel the need to overemphasize the second “s,” coming out almost as a “z” sound.
This issue contributes to why grammarians consider the second “s” unnecessary since it creates confusion over pronunciation.
In cases where there is a second “s,” you can get by with only pronouncing one “s.” Similarly, you’d say “countries’” the same as “countries.”
Using Apostrophes Correctly
We’ve seen that the possessive and the plural possessive both utilize an apostrophe, but it’s also beneficial to touch on other ways to use apostrophes correctly.
The most common placement for an apostrophe is before the final letter of the word. We saw this happening in the possessive form, “country’s,” but, as we found out, this isn’t always the case.
Here are two other grammatical areas that use apostrophes and some notable contradictions to the placement rule.
In Contractions
A contraction is when we combine two words to shorten a sentence. Contractions essentially follow their own rules on a case-by-case basis.
Consider the contracted word, “he’ll.” In this case, the two remaining letters from “will” appear after the apostrophe. “Seven o’clock,” for example, is a rather historic contraction meaning “seven of the clock.”
The apostrophe we use in contractions is primarily to share where the omitted letters were, which helps to contextualize the shortened word so readers can understand what it means. This article was written for strategiesforparents.com.
In Plurals
Surprisingly, regular plurals don’t normally require apostrophes — save for one exception where we pluralize lowercase letters, and even then, it is just for readability’s sake. Instead, you typically show plurals through suffixes and modifying the root word.
Final Thoughts
To use the correct form of “country,” you need to identify whether you need the singular, singular possessive, plural, or plural possessive form.
The singular form is “country,” and the singular possessive is “country’s.” For more than one nation, you will use the plural form “countries” or the plural possessive form “countries’,” indicating ownership by more than one country.
Armed with that knowledge, you’ll be using apostrophes and plural forms like a professional grammarian in no time!
Подборка пословиц, поговорок и высказываний знаменитых людей на тему «Countries» (Unit 3 Form 6, Unit 8 Form 7, Unit 1 Form 
. Подробнее об использовании пословиц, поговорок и высказываний знаменитых людей на уроке английского языка смотрите здесь.
English Proverb
|
Russian Equivalent
|
| So many countries, so many customs.The countries you visit, the customs you find. | Сколько стран, столько и обычаев.Ср. Что город, то норов, что деревня — то обычай. |
| When at Rome, do as Romans do. | Когда находишься в Риме, поступай как римляне. Ср. В чужой монастырь со своим уставом не ходят. |
| Every country has its customs. | У каждой страны — свои обычаи. |
| East or West, home is best. | Восток или запад, а дома лучше.Ср. В гостях хорошо, а дома лучше. |
| Every bird likes its own nest. | Всякая птица свое гнездо любит. Ср. Всяк кулик свое болото хвалит. |
| No man is a prophet in his own country. | Никто не может быть пророком в своей собственной стране. |
| Dogs have teeth in all countries. | У собак есть зубы во всех странах.Ср. Слон, он и в Африке слон. Трава, она всюду зеленая. |
| In foreign countries money goes by the way. | В чужой стране деньги утекают как вода. |
| Old countries don’t disappear overnight; they stay for breakfast. | Старые страны не пропадают внезапно, они остаются на завтрак. |
| Folly is the product of all countries and ages. | Безумие — продукт всех стран и возрастов. |
| In the country of the blind one-eyed man is a king. | В стране слепых и одноглазый царь.Ср. Промеж слепых кривой — первый царь. |
| The Dutch have taken Holland! | Голландцы захватили Голландию!Ср. Америку открыл! |
| There is по place like home. | Нет места лучше дома.Ср. В гостях хорошо, а дома лучше. |
| То carry coals to Newcastle. | Возить уголь в Ньюкасл. Ср. Ездить в Тулу со своим самоваром. В лес дрова возить. |
| То send (carry) owls to Athens. | Посылать сов в Афины. Ср. Дрова в лес возить. Воды морю прибавлять. Ездить в Тулу со своим самоваром. |
| «Great countries are those that produce great people.»
Benjamin Disraeli |
«Великие страны — те, которые производят великих людей.» Бенджамин Дизраэли |
| «The man who loves other countries as much as his own stands on a level with the man who loves other women as much as he loves his own wife.»
Theodore Roosevet |
«Человек, который любит другие страны также как свою, стоит на одном уровне с человеком, который любит других женщин так же, как свою жену.»
Теодор Рузвельт |
| «Own only what you can carry with you; know language, know countries, know people. Let your memory be your travel bag.»
Alexander Solzhenitsyn |
«То имей, что можно всегда пронести с собой: знай языки, знай страны, знай людей. Пусть будет путевым мешком твоим — твоя память.»
Александр Солженицын |
About Author
Olga
Choosing your next summer holiday destination is not easy — there are too many wonderful places to choose from. If you need a source of inspiration and at the same time you’d like to expand your English vocabulary, our list of English idioms and phrases related to nations and countries will surely come in handy!
“It’s all Greek to me”
Have you ever been in a situation when someone started talking directly to you in a foreign language or perhaps in a language you do know but with a very strong, unfamiliar accent? Or maybe you read a text that is so badly-written or difficult that it feels as if it’s not English? Or maybe you’re listening to a pair of doctors or engineers having a conversation using lots of specialised jargon. You understand the words, but you don’t know what they’re talking about. The idiom it’s (all) Greek to me can be used in such situations — when a text or a dialogue is incomprehensible, difficult to decipher, to understand.
“Bring owls to Athens / Send owls to Athens”
And while we’re on the subject of Greece, you might also encounter a somewhat obscure but nonetheless interesting idiom which is connected to the Greek capital. The city of Athens was named for the Greek goddess of wisdom, Athena, who in art was often accompanied by an owl — a symbol of wisdom and knowledge. You could find the owl depicted on murals or vases but also on city coins, so the animal was almost omnipresent. Given their number, bringing or sending even more owls to Athens would be futile; and this is exactly what the saying indicates — a pointless, unnecessary task or action.
“When in Rome, do as the Romans do”
Going west from Greece, we now reached the Italian Peninsula which housed another ancient civilisation — the Romans — who formed the Roman Empire. Its main capital city, just like of Italy today, was Rome and there are several idioms related to it.
Whenever you go abroad it is always a good idea to study local customs and observe local people so as to fit in and avoid making any faux pas. Every culture and every social group has its own expectations and set of appropriate and inappropriate behaviour, so should you enter a different group of people, because you’re moving out to another country or start working in a new company, try to blend in and follow the local rules, so when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
“Rome wasn’t built in a day”
Working in a company can be really stressful at times, especially if you do huge projects that require good team coordination and time management. However overwhelming deadlines might be, you need to remember that reaching a high quality requires a lot of time and patience. This applies to other areas of life, such as language learning, competitions, or romantic relationships. Rome wasn’t built in a day, so you need to be patient before you can see some satisfactory results. Another similar expression I really like in our culture of instant gratification: “Overnight success takes years.”
“Fiddle while Rome burns”
In 64 AD, a great fire broke out in Rome, raging for five days and destroying multiple districts of the city. The emperor at that time was Nero. Rumor has it that instead of fighting the fire, he preferred to use it as a source of inspiration for his work. Just as Nero ignored the dire situation his people were in, you might use the idiom fiddle while Rome burns in relation to someone who doesn’t respond adequately in the case of an emergency or an urgent situation, and who keeps doing the unimportant tasks, ignoring the greater problem.
“Pardon my French / Excuse my French”
England had a longstanding rivalry with France, which was reflected in the language as well. We can find some French-related idioms and it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they are not positive. It seems that the animosity between the two nations was so strong that the French language didn’t sound too pleasing and became synonymous with foul language and obscenities. If you find yourself using swear words while talking to someone, you might say pardon my French, so as to apologise for using a crude language.
“French leave”
You’re at a party that is the complete opposite of fun — bland food, bad music, nobody to talk to — or maybe you’re just not in the mood for partying and you came only because you wanted to make someone happy. While it might be rude, in such a situation sometimes the best thing to do is to take the French leave and just go home without notifying anybody. The idiom can be used in other situations as well, such as when you leave an important business meeting, an obligatory conference, or a military post. Surprisingly, it seems that the English are more notorious for leaving without saying goodbye, since several languages (for example Italian, Polish, and obviously French) call such an act the English leave instead.
“Go Dutch”
Eating out with your friends is a very pleasant way to spend your free time but when it’s time to leave, things might get complicated if you ordered many meals. Counting how much each person paid and then trying to distribute the change equally can be troublesome. Nobody wants to sit at the empty table for 20 minutes — sometimes it’s just better to go Dutch instead and let everyone pay for themselves.
“Dutch courage”
Need some encouragement before making a decision or taking action? For some people there’s no better way to boost their self-confidence and muster their strength than a shot of vodka or any other strong alcohol beverage. The idiom Dutch courage refers to a) the act of drinking alcohol in order to do something that requires bravery or a lot of confidence in one’s abilities, or b) the newly-found courage gained by being drunk. The phrase can be traced to the Anglo-Dutch rivalry of the 17th and 18th century, which shows us how various conflicts are reflected in language as well.
“Chinese puzzle”
Further east, we reach China, an enormous place where gunpowder, paper and the compass were invented, among other things. The Chinese were indeed very crafty and apart from many inventions, they also created many clever puzzles consisting of interlocked elements that need to be moved around and rotated in order to separate all the pieces and solve the puzzle. Finding a solution to such a puzzle is not easy, since these objects are designed to be complex. So when a situation, a problem, or an idea is (like) a Chinese puzzle, it is complicated and difficult to understand. But don’t worry, sooner or later you will find the right solution!
“Mexican standoff”
In case of a conflict, there are several approaches and strategies you can take. You can collaborate and try to find a solution that will profit everyone, you can reach a compromise that will leave both parties unsatisfied, you can also try to avoid the conflict and withdraw, but if it’s not possible you might as well give in and fulfil the demands, or you can be unforgiving and try to have it your way. If both parties decide to be competitive and assertive, we might reach a Mexican standoff — a stalemate or a situation where neither side wants to attack or go first, but at the same time neither side wants to retreat, and any aggressive action by any party can result in everyone’s demise.
“As American as apple pie”
Last but not least, we reach the United States of America! There are many things the USA is famous for — baseball and American football, the Grand Canyon, the movie industry of Hollywood, NYC, Las Vegas. But there are also less commonly known aspects of American way of life — cultural traditions and customs, such as throwing baby showers, writing dates with month number first, and obligatory tipping in restaurants. If something is very American in nature, characteristic of American culture, society or politics, you might say it is as American as apple pie.
Princeton’s WordNetRate this definition:2.8 / 13 votes
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state, nation, country, land, commonwealth, res publica, body politicnoun
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»
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country, state, landnoun
the territory occupied by a nation
«he returned to the land of his birth»; «he visited several European countries»
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nation, land, countrynoun
the people who live in a nation or country
«a statement that sums up the nation’s mood»; «the news was announced to the nation»; «the whole country worshipped him»
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country, rural areanoun
an area outside of cities and towns
«his poetry celebrated the slower pace of life in the country»
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area, countrynoun
a particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography)
«it was a mountainous area»; «Bible country»
WiktionaryRate this definition:3.7 / 3 votes
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countrynoun
An area of land; a district, region.
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countrynoun
A set region of land having particular human occupation or agreed limits, especially inhabited by members of the same race, language speakers etc., or associated with a given person, occupation, species etc.
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countrynoun
The territory of a nation, especially an independent nation state or formerly independent nation; a political entity asserting ultimate authority over a geographical area.
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countrynoun
A rural area, as opposed to a town or city; the countryside.
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countrynoun
Country music.
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countryadjective
From the countryside or connected with it.
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countryadjective
Of or connected to country music.
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countrynoun
Plural form of countryman.
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Etymology: contree, contre, from contree, from Vulgar Latin (terra) contrata, derived from contra.
Samuel Johnson’s DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes
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Countryadjective
This word is scarcely used but in composition.
1. Rustick; rural; villatick.
Cannot a country wench know, that having received a shilling from one that owes her three, and a shilling also from another that owes her three, that the remaining debts in each of their hands are equal?
John Locke.I never meant any other, than that Mr. Trot should confine himself to country dances.
Spectator, №. 308.He comes no nearer to a positive, clear idea of a positive infinite, than the country fellow had of the water which was yet to pass the channel of the river where he stood.
John Locke.Talk but with country people, or young people, and you shall find that the notions they apply this name to, are so odd that nobody can imagine they were taught by a rational man.
John Locke.The low mechanicks of a country town do somewhat outdo him.
John Locke.Come, we’ll e’en to our country seat repair,
The native home of innocence and love.
John Norris.2. Remote from cities or courts, and of an interest opposite to that of courts.
A country gentleman, learning Latin in the university, removes thence to his mansion-house.
John Locke.3. Peculiar to a region or people.
She laughing the cruel tyrant to scorn, spake in her country language.
2 Macabees, vii. 27.4. Rude; ignorant; untaught.
We make a country man dumb, whom we will not allow to speak but by the rules of grammar.
John Dryden, Dufresnoy. -
COUNTRYnoun
Etymology: contrée, Fr. contrata, low Latin; supposed to be contracted from conterrata.
1. A tract of land; a region.
Send out more horses, skirre the country round,
Hang those that talk of fear.
William Shakespeare, Macbeth.They require to be examined concerning the descriptions of those countries of which they would be informed.
Thomas Sprat.2. The parts of a region distant from cities or courts; rural parts.
I see them hurry from country to town, and then from the town back again into the country.
Spectator, №. 626.3. The place which any man inhabits.4. The place of one’s birth; the native soil.
The king set on foot a reformation in the ornaments and advantages of our country.
Thomas Sprat.O, save my country, heav’n, shall be your last.
Alexander Pope.5. The inhabitants of any region.
All the country, in a general voice,
Cry’d hate upon him; all their prayers and love
Were set on Hereford.
William Shakespeare, Henry IV. p. ii.
WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes
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Country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the country of Wales is a component of a multi-part sovereign state, the United Kingdom. A country may be a historically sovereign area (such as Korea), a currently sovereign territory with a unified government (such as Senegal), or a non-sovereign geographic region associated with certain distinct political, ethnic, or cultural characteristics (such as the Basque Country).
The definition and usage of the word «country» is flexible and has changed over time. The Economist wrote in 2010 that «any attempt to find a clear definition of a country soon runs into a thicket of exceptions and anomalies.» Most sovereign states, but not all countries, are members of the United Nations.
The largest country by area is Russia, while the smallest is the microstate Vatican City. The most populous is China, while the Pitcairn Islands are the least populous.
Webster DictionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote
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Countryadverb
a tract of land; a region; the territory of an independent nation; (as distinguished from any other region, and with a personal pronoun) the region of one’s birth, permanent residence, or citizenship
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Countryadverb
rural regions, as opposed to a city or town
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Countryadverb
the inhabitants or people of a state or a region; the populace; the public. Hence: (a) One’s constituents. (b) The whole body of the electors of state; as, to dissolve Parliament and appeal to the country
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Countryadverb
a jury, as representing the citizens of a country
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Countryadverb
the inhabitants of the district from which a jury is drawn
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Countryadverb
the rock through which a vein runs
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Countryadjective
pertaining to the regions remote from a city; rural; rustic; as, a country life; a country town; the country party, as opposed to city
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Countryadjective
destitute of refinement; rude; unpolished; rustic; not urbane; as, country manners
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Countryadjective
pertaining, or peculiar, to one’s own country
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Etymology: [F. contre, LL. contrata, fr. L. contra over against, on the opposite side. Cf. Counter, adv., Contra.]
FreebaseRate this definition:4.0 / 3 votes
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Country
A country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with sets of previously independent or differently associated peoples with distinct political characteristics. Regardless of the physical geography, in the modern internationally accepted legal definition as defined by the League of Nations in 1937 and reaffirmed by the United Nations in 1945, a resident of a country is subject to the independent exercise of legal jurisdiction.
Sometimes the word country is used to refer both to sovereign states and to other political entities, while other times it refers only to states. For example, the CIA World Factbook uses the word in its «Country name» field to refer to «a wide variety of dependencies, areas of special sovereignty, uninhabited islands, and other entities in addition to the traditional countries or independent states».
Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:1.5 / 2 votes
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Country
kun′tri, n. a rural region as distinct from a town: a tract of land: the land in which one was born, or in which one resides.—adj. belonging to the country: rustic: rude.—p.adj. Coun′trified.—v.t. Coun′trify, to make rustic.—ns. Coun′try-box, a country-house; Coun′try-dance, a dance practised by country people: a dance in which an indefinite number of couples can take part, the gentlemen being arranged at the commencement on one side, and the ladies on the other.—n.pl. Coun′try-folk, the inhabitants of the country.—ns. Coun′try-house, -seat, the residence of a country gentleman; Coun′tryman, one who lives in the country: a farmer: one born in the same country with another; Coun′try-side, a district or part of the country; Coun′try-woman, a woman who dwells in the country: a woman born in the same country.—Country cousin, a relative from the country, unaccustomed to town sights or manners; Country gentleman, a landed proprietor who resides on his estate in the country; Country town, a small town in a rural district, depending on the agricultural industry of the surrounding country.—Go to the country, in parliamentary usage, to appeal to the feeling of the community by a general election. [O. Fr., contrée—Low L. contrata, contrada, an extension of L. contra, over against.]
Dictionary of Nautical TermsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes
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country
A term synonymous with station. The place whither a ship
happens to be ordered.
Editors ContributionRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes
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country
A specific area of land defined in legislation.
Many countries are defined legally and some countries are united with other countries to form a nation or sovereign state.
Submitted by MaryC on February 23, 2020
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country
A group of people in a specific geographical area defined in legislation with a structure of unity government in the form of all types of local unity government, regional unity government, national unity government that work in partnership with the european unity government and international unity government to cocreate an ethical, moral, fair and just society with the focus on priorities of optimum health, human rights, right to life, civil rights, balanced and moderate society with the redistribution of income, wealth and resources to ensure and guarantee shared prosperity for all
The country did create a form of unity government structure across the country.
Submitted by MaryC on April 3, 2020
Matched Categories
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- Administrative District
- Geographical Area
- People
- Political Unit
- Region
British National Corpus
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Spoken Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word ‘country’ in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #270
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Written Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word ‘country’ in Written Corpus Frequency: #453
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Nouns Frequency
Rank popularity for the word ‘country’ in Nouns Frequency: #29
How to pronounce country?
How to say country in sign language?
Numerology
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Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of country in Chaldean Numerology is: 1
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Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of country in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8
Examples of country in a Sentence
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Caycee Myers:
These companies have to be careful in crafting their image, first, they have to keep in mind, ‘What is the culture and attitude of the public in this other country?’ and secondly, ‘How do I tailor my organization’s message to comport with that?’.
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel:
Two people sit by the Barcaccia fountain near almost empty Spanish Steps, in Rome on Tuesday. ( AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) Premier Giuseppe Conte on Wednesday said he will consider requests to toughen Italys already extraordinary anti-virus lockdown. Adding to its efforts, the Italian government also announced a $ 28 billion allocation to fight the outbreak on both medical and economic fronts. The first measures, expected to be outlined Friday, will support health services, the civil protection agency and the labor market. The Vittorio Emanuele shopping arcade appeared almost desert in Milan on Wednesday as Italy mulls even tighter restrictions on daily life. ( AP Photo/Luca Bruno) The World Health Organizationon Wednesdaydeclared the virus a pandemic, noting that the number of cases outside China had exploded13-fold over the past two weeks. There are now more than 118,000 cases of COVID-19 in 114 countries, with 4,291 deaths, WHO Director-GeneralTedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. Other European nations are issuing measures to slow down and control the spread of the virus, and provide a cushion for the economic shock of the outbreak. Spain Spains coronavirus cases have surpassed 2,000, with roughly half of them in the Madrid region, where two-thirds of the countrys 47 virus-related deaths have occurred, the Health Ministry said Wednesday. The number of cases saw a 60 percent increase since Tuesday. United States TOURISTS QUARANTINED IN SPANISH HOTEL AFTER TESTING POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS : HEALTH OFFICIALS Madrids fatalities are high because much of the contagion there is taking place in nursing homes, said Fernando Simn, director of Spains health emergency center. Empty shelves are seen in a supermarket as people begin to stock up on provisions in Madrid on Tuesday. ( AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Schools and universities in Madrid and two northern regions have been ordered to close for two weeks to help slow the outbreaks spread. Workers were urged to telecommute to help reduce crowds on public transit. Denmark The Scandinavian country saw a 191 percent spike in Spain Spains coronavirus cases, with 90 more infections confirmed on Wednesday, for a total of at least 262. Local Denmark SEES FIRST CORONAVIRUS CASE IN MAN RETURNING FROM ITALY VACATION Denmarks leaders have advised the public to avoid using public transportation, while some schools also closed, Local Denmark reported. Health officials also have advised against shaking hands, a measure that has suspended naturalization ceremonies, which require a mandatory handshake by law, The New York Times reported. Germany With at least 1,300 infections as of Wednesday, Germany so far has only three deaths a low rate that experts attributeto rapid testing as the outbreak unfolded. German Chancellor Angela Merkel issued a warning, citingexpert estimates that up to 70 percent of the population could be infected with the virus. HOW IS GERMANY CONTROLLING THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK ? You have to understand that if the virus is there, and the population has no immunity yet to this virus, there are no vaccines and no therapy so far, a high percentage experts say 60 to 70 percent of the population will be infected.
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Hillary Clinton:
As a lifelong Planned Parenthood supporter, I’m honored to have the endorsement of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, there has never been a more important election when it comes to women’s health and reproductive rights — and Planned Parenthood’s patients, providers, and advocates across the country are a crucial line of defense against the dangerous agenda being advanced by every Republican candidate for president.
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Dalai Lama:
Europe, for example Germany, can not become an Arab country, germany is Germany. There are so many that in practice it becomes difficult.
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Donald Trump:
If you think of The Sun, for so many years Elizabeth II has represented Elizabeth II country, Elizabeth II has really never made a mistake. You don’t see, like, anything embarrassing. Elizabeth II is just Elizabeth II.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
Translations for country
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- landAfrikaans
- أرياف, بَلَدٌ, ريف, وَطَنٌ, وِلاَيَةٌ, نسبة الى الريف, اوطان, رِيفِيّArabic
- ölkə, kəndAzerbaijani
- өлкә, ауыл, төбәк, дәүләт, илBashkir
- зямля, вёска, краіна, дзержаваBelarusian
- земя, държава, кънтри, село, провинциален, страна, родина, провинцияBulgarian
- দেশBengali
- maez, glad, broBreton
- país, campestre, campCatalan, Valencian
- země, venkovCzech
- cefn gwlad, gwladwriaeth, gwladWelsh
- landDanish
- Vaterland, Land, ländlich, Region, Land-, Staat, LandschaftGerman
- χώρα, εξοχικός, αγροτικός, επαρχιώτικος, εξοχή, ύπαιθροςGreek
- lando, kamparoEsperanto
- provincia, campestre, país, ranchera, provinciano, campesino, campoSpanish
- maa, kantri, riikEstonian
- سرزمین, میهن, حومه شهر, کشور, حاشیه نشین, روستایی, روستاPersian
- maalainen, maa, valtio, maaseutu, kantri, maalais-Finnish
- landFaroese
- pays, contrée, campagneFrench
- lân, boerelânWestern Frisian
- tìreil, dùthaich, dùthchail, tìr, talamhScottish Gaelic
- paísGalician
- tetâGuaraní
- દેશGujarati
- כפרי, מדינה, כפר, ארץ, כפריתHebrew
- देश, राष्ट्र, देHindi
- peyiHaitian Creole
- ország, vidéki, vidékHungarian
- քանթրի, շինական, գյուղական, երկիր, պետություն, գյուղ, շենArmenian
- pais, campestre, ruralInterlingua
- bangsa, negara, desaIndonesian
- lando, ruroIdo
- landIcelandic
- landa, patria, paese, campagna, rurale, campo, nazioneItalian
- מדינהHebrew
- カントリー, 国, 田舎, 地方, 国家, 田園Japanese
- negara, negawaJavanese
- ქვეყანა, სოფელიGeorgian
- елKazakh
- nunaatKalaallisut, Greenlandic
- ស្រុក, ប្រទេសKhmer
- ದೇಶದ, ದೇಶ, ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರKannada
- 나라, 국가, 國家, 시골, 시골의Korean
- welat, وڵاتKurdish
- өлкөKyrgyz
- patria, pagus, terra, rusLatin
- Land, StaatLuxembourgish, Letzeburgesch
- ເມືອງ, ປະເທດLao
- šalis, kraštas, kaimiškas, kaimo, valstybė, kaimas, kantriLithuanian
- lauki, kantrī, lauku, zeme, valsts, lauku-Latvian
- селски, земја, нациja, држава, село, кантриMacedonian
- രാജ്യം, ഗ്രാമം, നാട്ടുമ്പുറംMalayalam
- гүрэн, улсMongolian
- negara, bangsaMalay
- pajjiżMaltese
- နိုင်ငံBurmese
- country, land, landsbygdNorwegian
- land, platteland, plattelands, country, land-, boeren-, open veldDutch
- land, landsbygd, countryNorwegian Nynorsk
- landsens, landNorwegian
- kéyahNavajo, Navaho
- akiin, akiOjibwe, Ojibwa
- ਰਾਸ਼ਟਰ, ਮੂਲਕ, ਦੇਸ਼Panjabi, Punjabi
- ziemia, country, kraj, wieś, wiejskiPolish
- nação, campestre, países, rural, país, grosseiro, campo, countryPortuguese
- suyuQuechua
- pajais, cuntradaRomansh
- stat, sat, țară, națiune, pământ, patrie, ruralRomanian
- страна, край, государство, провинция, деревня, деревенский, село, земля, держава, кантри, сельскийRussian
- देशः, राष्ट्रSanskrit
- zemlja, земља, држава, nacija, отачбина, otačbina, dedinje, krajina, село, нација, država, selo, ĸpajинaSerbo-Croatian
- රටSinhala, Sinhalese
- dedina, vidiek, krajina, zem, vidiecky, dedinskýSlovak
- zemlja, vaško, podeželsko, država, dežela, podeželjeSlovene
- atdhe, fshatAlbanian
- land-, land, landet, landsort, lands-, landsbygd, countrySwedish
- shamba, mashamba, -a kimashamba, nchiSwahili
- நாடு, தேசம்Tamil
- దేశముTelugu
- давлат, мамлакатTajik
- ชนบท, เมือง, ทางชนบท, ประเทศThai
- döwlet, ülke, watanTurkmen
- bansaTagalog
- taşra, kırsal, eyalet, memleket, ülke, il, elTurkish
- илTatar
- земля, село, країна, державаUkrainian
- راشٹر, دیشUrdu
- mamlakat, qishloqUzbek
- 國家, nước, miền quê, nông thôn, quốc gia, quê hương, tỉnn, đất nước, tổ quốc, quốcVietnamese
- länVolapük
- דאָרפֿישYiddish
- 国Chinese
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Translation
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- Dansk (Danish)
- Suomi (Finnish)
- فارسی (Persian)
- ייִדיש (Yiddish)
- հայերեն (Armenian)
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