countries

IPA/ˈkʌn.tri/
KK[kˈʌntriz]IPA/ˈkʌn.tri/

countries — noun

  • countriessingular
  • countriesesplural

1. A separate part of the world that keeps its own government, makes its own laws,

1.nounA1
Definition

A separate part of the world that keeps its own government, makes its own laws, and controls its own borders — the standard way of referring to one of our planet's political divisions.

Example

Tuan's family moved to a new country when he was eight years old.

country as a political unit with borders

Japan is a country made up of thousands of islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Common collocations
  • foreign country
  • home country
  • neighbouring country
  • developing country
  • host country
  • country's border
Synonyms
  • nation

    more formal and emphasises shared culture, history, or ethnicity rather than physical territory

  • state

    formal political term, used especially in international law and government contexts

  • land

    more literary or emotional; often used in phrases like 'homeland' or 'native land'

Grammar Patterns

country + verb (singular/plural agreement by context)

adjective + country (e.g. foreign country, home country)

Usage Note

This is the most common meaning of 'country'. It may be used with either singular or plural verb agreement depending on whether the country is treated as a single entity ('the country is') or as its people ('the country are divided').

Common Mistakes

He went to another nation last summer.
He went to another country last summer.
'Nation' emphasises people and culture; 'country' is the usual word for a political/geographic unit in everyday speech.

2. The entire population of a nation, thought of as one body that can share the sam

2.nounB1
Definition

The entire population of a nation, thought of as one body that can share the same experiences, opinions, or emotions.

Example

The whole country mourned when the former president passed away last spring.

the whole country = everyone living there

The country voted in a new government after years of economic trouble.

Common collocations
  • whole country
  • entire country
  • country celebrated
  • country mourned
  • country voted
Synonyms
  • people

    more direct; refers to persons rather than the abstract collective body

  • population

    more statistical and formal; emphasises numbers rather than shared feeling

  • nation

    overlaps here; 'the nation' also refers to the people, but carries a stronger sense of shared identity

Grammar Patterns

the whole country + verb (singular)

the country + verb (singular for unity, plural for individuals)

Usage Note

Frequently appears with 'the whole country' or 'the entire country'. Unlike sense 1, this sense cannot be pluralised — you cannot say 'the countries celebrated' to mean 'people celebrated'. Use 'the people of both countries' instead.

Common Mistakes

The countries celebrated the victory.' (meaning the people)
The country celebrated the victory.' or 'People across both countries celebrated.
Sense 2 is always singular; use sense 1's plural form only for multiple political units.

3. Any region beyond built-up urban areas, where the land is typically farmed or wi

3.nounB1
Definition

Any region beyond built-up urban areas, where the land is typically farmed or wild, dotted with few buildings and offering a slower way of life.

Example

Manuela grew up in the country, far from the noisy city streets.

in the country = rural area

Wei's family bought a small stone house in the country to escape the busy city life.

Common collocations
  • in the country
  • live in the country
  • country road
  • country air
  • country life
  • country house
Synonyms
  • countryside

    the more explicit term; always means rural land and cannot be confused with 'nation'

  • rural area

    more formal and descriptive; used in writing and official contexts

  • the outdoors

    broader — includes wilderness, parks, and mountains, not just farmland

Antonyms
  • city

    urban area, the opposite of rural countryside

  • town

    built-up area with dense population and infrastructure

Grammar Patterns

in the country

the country (no article for other senses requires 'the' here)

Usage Note

Always takes the definite article 'the'. 'In the country' is the standard phrase. Distinguish from sense 1 by the presence of 'the' — 'a country' (sense 1) is a nation; 'the country' (sense 3) is rural land. Context usually disambiguates: mention of farms, fields, fresh air signals this sense.

Common Mistakes

I want to live in country.
I want to live in the country.
This sense always requires the definite article 'the'.

4. A stretch of territory defined by its natural characteristics — such as hills, f

4.nounB2
Definition

A stretch of territory defined by its natural characteristics — such as hills, forest, desert, or open fields — rather than by political borders.

Example

The rocky country around the village is perfect for hiking and climbing.

adjective + country describing landscape type

This part of the state is open country with few trees or buildings.

Common collocations
  • open country
  • hill country
  • mountain country
  • wooded country
  • desert country
  • flat country
Synonyms
  • terrain

    more technical; used in geography and military contexts

  • landscape

    emphasises the visual appearance of the area

  • region

    broader — can include cultural or administrative definitions, not just physical features

Grammar Patterns

adjective + country (describing landscape)

country of + noun

Usage Note

Nearly always appears with a preceding adjective (open, hill, desert, mountain, wooded, flat). Cannot be pluralised. The adjective describes the dominant terrain feature of the area.

Common Mistakes

We drove through a country with hills.
We drove through hill country.
Use the adjective + country pattern rather than treating it as sense 1.

5. A shortened way of saying 'country music' — a popular music style that uses guit

5.nounB1
Definition

A shortened way of saying 'country music' — a popular music style that uses guitars, fiddles, and vocals to tell stories about everyday life, love, and hardship.

Example

Naoko listens to country on her drive to work every morning.

informal: 'country' = country music

The radio station plays mostly country and some classic rock.

Common collocations
  • listen to country
  • play country
  • country singer
  • country fan
  • country radio
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

listen to country

play country

a country fan

Usage Note

Informal shortening used in conversation and radio contexts. In formal writing or when first introducing the topic, use the full term 'country music'. Note: predominantly used in American English.

Common Mistakes

She performs country at the opera house.
She performs country music at the opera house.
The abbreviation is too casual for formal venues or formal writing.

countries — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These four words all describe a large area with some form of political or cultural identity, but they differ in what they emphasise. 'Country' is the most neutral and common everyday word — it refers to a physical area with borders and a government (e.g., 'France is a country in Europe'). 'Nation' emphasises the people and their shared culture, language, or history ('the Welsh nation has a strong identity'). 'State' is the formal political term used in law and international relations ('a sovereign state has the right to make its own laws'). 'Land' is more poetic or emotional, often appearing in fixed phrases like 'native land' or 'the land of my fathers'. 'Territory' focuses on the physical area under control, often without implying full independence ('Guam is a US territory'). In everyday conversation, 'country' is usually the right choice; the others carry specific overtones that may sound unnatural in casual speech.

nation ↗state ↗land ↗territory ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • country (as modifier: country music, country road, country style)

Phrases

  • all over the country
  • from country to country
  • my home country
  • country of origin

Prepositions

  • across the country (sense 1,2)
  • throughout the country (sense 1,2)
  • in the country (sense 3)
  • around the country (sense 1,2)
  • by country (sense 1)

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'country' entered English in the 1200s from Old French 'contree', which itself came from Latin 'contrata terra' — meaning 'the land spread out opposite or before you'. The Latin root 'contra' (meaning 'opposite, against') originally described a region seen from a certain viewpoint. Over time, the sense shifted from 'a region or district' to 'a nation with defined borders'. The meaning 'rural areas' (sense 3) developed in the 1500s, contrasting town life with the open land beyond the city walls.

First known use

13th century

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a Adjective