Definition of country noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

country

noun

/ˈkʌntri/

(plural countries)

[countable] an area of land that has or used to have its own government and laws
- European countries
- low-income countries
- It's good to meet people from different parts of the country.
- in a country She didn't know what life in a foreign country would be like.
- It's the most popular music festival in the country.
- across the country House prices are rising across the whole country.
- around the country Demonstrations were held in cities around the country.
- from a country people from other countries
see also , mother country, north-country, old country
Which Word? country / state
country / state
- Country is the most usual, neutral word for a geographical area that has or used to have its own government.
- State emphasizes the political organization of an area under an independent government. Especially in British English, it can also mean the government:
  the member states of the EU
  The state provides free education.
  In North American English the state usually refers to one of the 50 states of the US, not to the government of the country as a whole.
Extra Examples
- All goods must be clearly labelled with their country of origin.
- He cannot be deported to his country of origin.
- He loved his country deeply.
- She plans to travel the country by motorcycle.
- I'm proud to serve my country.
- Many refugee servicemen gave their lives for their adopted country.
- New schools are being built throughout the country.
- OECD member countries
- Over 30 countries participated in the Games.
- She represented her country at the Tokyo Olympics.
- The country exports around 80% of its output.
- The former president has been forced to flee the country.
- The play has been enjoyed by audiences in this country and abroad for many years.
- The refugees do jobs that workers in the host country refuse to do.
- The two countries signed a basic treaty of cooperation.
- There will be rain in many parts of the country tomorrow.
- They are holding special events all over the country.
- They drove across the country.
- This is just one of 30 sites around the country.
- We must remember those who died defending their country.
- We operate in ten countries around the globe.
- What must it be like, to grow old in a strange country?
- Years of civil war had ravaged the country.
- a commander who saved his country from invasion
- countries bordering the Black Sea
- economically advanced countries
- new restrictions on goods entering the country
- people who live in this country
- students from overseas countries
- the country of his birth
- this great country of ours
- I like going to different countries and meeting new people.
- Sugar is only produced in tropical countries.
- We need to improve the standards of education in this country.
Topics Geographya1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- beautiful
- fascinating
- great
- …
verb + country
- govern
- rule
- run
- …
country + verb
- border something
- produce something
- export something
- …
preposition
- across a/the country
- all over a/the country
- around a/the country
- …
phrases
- countries around the globe
- countries around the world
- country of (somebody’s) birth
- …
See full entry
enlarge image

the country
[singular] any area outside towns and cities, with fields, woods, farms, etc.
- in the country I live in the country.
- We spent a pleasant day in the country.
- The house is at the end of a narrow country lane.
see also upcountry
Synonyms country
countrylandscape ▪ countryside ▪ terrain ▪ land ▪ sceneryThese are all words for areas away from towns and cities, with fields, woods and farms.
country (often the country) an area that is away from towns and cities, especially one with particular natural features:
She lives in the country.
an area of wooded country
landscape everything that you can see when you look across a large area of land, especially in the country:
This pattern of woods and fields is typical of the English landscape.
countryside land outside towns and cities, with fields, woods and farms. Countryside is usually used when you are talking about the beauty or peacefulness of a country area: a little village in the French countryside .terrain (formal) land. Terrain is used when you are describing the natural features of an area, for example if it is rough, flat, etc: The truck bumped its way over the rough terrain. land (usually the land) the countryside; the way people live in the country as opposed to in towns and cities:
Many younger people are leaving the land to find work in the cities.
scenery the natural features of an area, such as mountains, valleys, rivers and forests, especially when these are attractive to look at:
We stopped on the mountain pass to admire the scenery.
Patterns
- mountainous/mountain/wild/rugged country/landscape/countryside/terrain/scenery
- beautiful/glorious/dramatic country/landscape/countryside/scenery
- open country/landscape/countryside/terrain/land
- rolling country/landscape/countryside
- to protect the landscape/countryside/land
Collocations Town and country
Town and countryTown
- live in a city/a town/an urban environment/(informal) a concrete jungle/the suburbs/shanty towns/slums
- live (especially North American English) downtown/in the downtown area/(British English) in the city centre
- enjoy/like the hectic pace of life/the hustle and bustle of city life
- cope with the stress/pressure of urban life
- get caught up in the rat race
- prefer/seek the anonymity of life in a big city
- be drawn by/resist the lure of the big city
- head for the bright lights (of the big city/New York)
- enjoy/love the vibrant/lively nightlife
- have/be close to all the amenities
- be surrounded by towering skyscrapers/a soulless urban sprawl
- use/travel by/rely on (British English) public transport/(North American English) public transportation
- put up with/get stuck in/sit in massive/huge/heavy/endless/constant traffic jams
- tackle/ease/reduce/relieve/alleviate the heavy/severe traffic congestion
- be affected/choked/damaged by pollution
Country
- live in a village/the countryside/an isolated area/a rural backwater/(informal) the sticks
- enjoy/like the relaxed/slower pace of life
- enjoy/love/explore the great outdoors
- look for/find/get/enjoy a little peace and quiet
- need/want to get back/closer to nature
- be surrounded by open/unspoilt/picturesque countryside
- escape/quit/get out of/leave the rat race
- seek/achieve a better/healthy work-life balance
- downshift to a less stressful life
- seek/start a new life in the country
- (British English, informal) up sticks/ (North American English, informal ) pull up stakes and move to/head for…
- create/build/foster a strong sense of community
- depend on/be employed in/work in agriculture
- live off/farm/work the land
- tackle/address the problem of rural unemployment
Extra Examples
- The country air should do you good.
- There have often been disagreements between town and country.
- They drove along a remote country road.
- a little country town
- a typical country cottage with roses around the door
- I don't really enjoy country life.
- She lives in the country.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
country + noun
- life
- air
- lane
- …
preposition
- across country
- in the country
See full entry
[uncountable] (often following an adjective) an area of land, especially with particular physical features, suitable for a particular purpose or connected with a particular person or people
- The town is surrounded by miles and miles of open country.
- Further south is more rural, predominantly farming country.
- superb walking country
- Explore Thomas Hardy country.
see also backcountry
Extra Examples
- Whole tracts of country, once fertile, have become arid.
- a beautiful stretch of country
- We came to an area of wooded country.
- They tramped across miles of open country.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- desert
- hill
- hilly
- …
… of country
- stretch
- tract
See full entry
the country
[singular] the people of a country; the nation as a whole
- They have the support of most of the country.
- The rich benefited from the reforms, not the country as a whole.
- The whole country is depending on you.
Extra Examples
- Our country needs a leader like her.
- He accused the government of leading the country to disaster.
- The country is suffering from rising unemployment.
- The country was ruled by a brutal dictatorship.
- The issue of the single currency has divided the country.
- the politicians who run the country
[uncountable]
(also country music, country and western)
a type of popular music in the style of the traditional music of the southern US, with singing and dance tunes played on violin, guitar and banjo
- pop, folk and country
Topics Musicb2

Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French cuntree, from medieval Latin contrata (terra) ‘(land) lying opposite’, from Latin contra ‘against, opposite’.

Idioms

across country

directly across fields, etc.; not by a main road
- riding across country
see also cross-country

go to the country

(British English) (of a government) to hold an election to choose a new parliament

it’s a free country

(informal) used as a reply when somebody suggests that you should not do something, or when somebody has asked permission or said they are going to do something
- It's a free country; I'll say what I like!
- Wear what you like. It's a free country.
- ‘It's a free country!’ he shouted. ‘I can do what I like!’

See country in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee country in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English

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