Online OXFORD Collocation Dictionary

nation noun

ADJ. large | little, small | major | great, leading, powerful, strong | advanced, developed, industrial, industrialized | developing, emergent, emerging, less-developed, Third World | affluent, prosperous, rich, wealthy the richest nation on earth | poor | civilized | backward | new | young | ancient, old | free, independent, sovereign | democratic | capitalist | united | divided | entire, whole The entire nation mourned her death. | foreign | Western the imperialist expansion of Western nations in the 1880s | Arab, European, French, etc. | maritime, oil-producing, trading | nuclear | creditor, debtor In 1950 the UK was the world's largest debtor nation and the US the largest creditor. | host France was host nation for the 1998 World Cup. | member the member nations of the UN

VERB + NATION create They wanted to create a new nation. | unite The fight against terrorism seemed to unite the nation. | divide | govern, lead | shock the savage murder that shocked the nation

NATION + NOUN building The biggest task of the government was to address national unity and nation building. | state

PREP. across a/the ~ swings in public opinion across the nation | among ~ economic inequality among the nations of the world | in/within a/the ~ In the nation as a whole there is no desire for war. | ~ of They are a nation of food lovers.

PHRASES the birth of a nation, the interests of a nation, the life of a nation They hoped that the exhibition would enhance the cultural life of the nation. | the nation as a whole, the nation at large The new economic policies were in the best interests of the nation at large. | the nations of the world