nation

Definition

Community or race of people with shared culture, traditions, history, and (usually) language, whether scattered or confined to one country. UK, for example, is a country inhabited mainly by people of four nations: the English, Irish, Scot, and Welsh. Whereas the term 'nation' emphasizes a particular group of people, 'country' emphasizes the physical dimensions and boundaries of a geographical area, and 'state' a self-governing legal and political entity.