noun
- very small sovereign nations or political entities with limited territory and population
Usage: political science; plural form
Examples
- Monaco and San Marino are examples of European ministates.
- The United Nations includes several ministates among its member countries.
- These ministates often rely on tourism and banking for their economies.
- Vatican City is one of the world’s smallest ministates.
- Many ministates in the Pacific face challenges from rising sea levels.
- The conference addressed issues specific to ministates and their sovereignty.