state
noun
State — the condition a thing finds itself in, at a given moment
Definition
The way something is with respect to its main attributes; "the current state of knowledge"; "his state of health"; "in a weak financial state"
In depth
A state is the particular condition or configuration of something with respect to its essential attributes at a given time — the way a thing currently is, as opposed to how it might have been or might yet become. The word captures a kind of snapshot, freezing a changeable thing long enough to describe it.
Origin
The word comes from Latin status, a standing, condition, or position, from stare, to stand — the same root behind 'station' and 'statue.' That image of standing still beneath the word explains its core function: a state is, etymologically, however briefly, a thing caught standing in place.
Usage examples
"The current state of knowledge on the subject, the professor admitted, was far less settled than the textbook implied."
"She found the house in a state of quiet disrepair, as though time itself had simply stopped paying attention to it."
"His state of mind that winter was, by his own later account, fragile beyond anything he could have explained at the time."
How to use it
State is broadly useful across nearly every field, from physics, where matter exists in solid, liquid, or gaseous states, to psychology and everyday speech describing emotional or situational conditions. Its versatility means writers should pair it with precise modifiers to avoid vagueness.
Related concepts
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