n. the way something is with respect to its main attributes; "the current state of knowledge"; "his state of health"; "in a weak financial state"

n. the group of people comprising the government of a sovereign state; "the state has lowered its income tax"

n. a major subdivision in a country

n. the fielding position of the player on a baseball team who is stationed at first of the bases in the infield (counting counterclockwise from home plate)

n. an honours degree of the highest class

n. the first or highest in an ordering or series; "He wanted to be the first"

n. the federal department in the United States that sets and maintains foreign policies; "the Department of State was created in 1789"

n. the lowest forward gear ratio in the gear box of a motor vehicle; used to start a car moving

n. the time at which something is supposed to begin; "they got an early start"; "she knew from the get-go that he was the man for her"

v. indicate through a symbol, formula, etc.; "Can you express this distance in kilometers?"

v. put before; "I submit to you that the accused is guilty"

v. express in words; "He said that he wanted to marry her"; "tell me what is bothering you"; "state your opinion"; "state your name"

adv. before another in time, space, or importance; "I was here first"; "Let's do this job first"

adv. "When Felix first saw a garter snake"

adv. "He put his best foot foremost"

adv. "First we must consider the garter snake"

adj. in the service of the community or nation: "state security"

adj. preceding all others in time or space or degree; "the first house on the right"; "the first day of spring"; "his first political race"; "her first baby"; "the first time"; "the first meetings of the new party"; "the first phase of his training"

adj. highest in pitch or chief among parts or voices or instruments or orchestra sections; "first soprano"; "the first violin section"; "played first horn"

adj. supported and operated by the government of a state; "a state university"

adj. being the gear producing the lowest drive speed; "use first gear on steep hills"

adj. serving to begin; "the beginning canto of the poem"; "the first verse"

adj. indicating the beginning unit in a series

adj. ranking above all others; "was first in her class"; "the foremost figure among marine artists"; "the top graduate"

adj. serving to set in motion; "the magazine's inaugural issue"; "the initiative phase in the negotiations"; "an initiatory step toward a treaty"; "his first (or maiden) speech in Congress"; "the liner's maiden voyage"

n. a situation from which extrication is difficult especially an unpleasant or trying one; "finds himself in a most awkward predicament"; "the woeful plight of homeless people"

n. state of uncertainty or perplexity especially as requiring a choice between equally unfavorable options

n. a state of high honor; "he valued glory above life itself"

n. high status importance owing to marked superiority; "a scholar of great eminence"

n. a condition that accompanies or influences some event or activity

n. a public disturbance; "the police investigated an incident at the bus station"

n. an instance of something occurring; "a disease of frequent occurrence"; "the occurrence (or presence) of life on other planets"

n. a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways; "he had the attitude that work was fun"

n. the prevailing psychological state; "the climate of opinion"; "the national mood had changed radically since the last election"

n. a state of individual psychological well-being based upon a sense of confidence and usefulness and purpose

n. the beginning or early stages; "the onset of pneumonia"

n. the event consisting of the start of something; "the beginning of the war"

n. the normal time between successive generations; "they had to wait a generation for that prejudice to fade"

n. the human act of creating

n. an event that is a beginning; a first part or stage of subsequent events

n. the early stage of growth or development

n. the first light of day; "we got up before dawn"; "they talked until morning"

v. put into words or an expression; "He formulated his concerns to the board of trustees"

v. formulate in a particular style or language; "I wouldn't put it that way"; "She cast her request in very polite language"

v. bring up a topic for discussion

v. furnish with a preface or introduction; "She always precedes her lectures with a joke"; "He prefaced his lecture with a critical remark about the institution"

v. bring forward and present to the mind; "We presented the arguments to him"; "We cannot represent this knowledge to our formal reason"

v. admit openly and bluntly; make no bones about

v. state or announce; "`I am not a Communist,' he exclaimed"; "The King will proclaim an amnesty"

v. to declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true; "Before God I swear I am innocent"

v. lay claim to; as of an idea; "She took credit for the whole idea"

v. assert or affirm strongly; state to be true or existing; "He claimed that he killed the burglar"

v. represent by making a drawing of, as with a pencil, chalk, etc. on a surface; "She drew an elephant"; "Draw me a horse"

v. make clear and (more) comprehensible; "clarify the mystery surrounding her death"

v. add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing; "She elaborated on the main ideas in her dissertation"

v. accept as true; take to be true; "I believed his report"; "We didn't believe his stories from the War"; "She believes in spirits"

v. provide commentary for a film, for example

v. narrate or give a detailed account of; "Tell what happened"; "The father told a story to his child"

v. confess one's faith in, or allegiance to; "The terrorists professed allegiance to the Muslim faith"; "he professes to be a Communist"

v. pronounce judgment on; "They labeled him unfit to work here"

v. give an account of; "The witness related the events"

v. have or establish a relationship to; "She relates well to her peers"

v. give information

v. make known to the authorities; "One student reported the other to the principal"

adj. necessary foods or commodities; "wheat is a staple crop"

adj. serving as a base or starting point; "a basic course in Russian"; "basic training for raw recruits"; "a set of basic tools"; "an introductory art course"

adj. serving as an essential component; "a cardinal rule"; "the central cause of the problem"; "an example that was fundamental to the argument"; "computers are fundamental to modern industrial structure"

adj. (used especially of ideas or principles) deeply rooted; firmly fixed or held; "deep-rooted prejudice"; "deep-seated differences of opinion"; "implanted convictions"; "ingrained habits of a lifetime"; "a deeply planted need"

adj. most important element; "the chief aim of living"; "the main doors were of solid glass"; "the principal rivers of America"; "the principal example"; "policemen were primary targets"

adj. of high or superior quality or performance; "superior wisdom derived from experience"; "superior math students"

adj. having superior power and influence; "the predominant mood among policy-makers is optimism"

adj. greatest in importance or degree or significance or achievement; "our greatest statesmen"; "the country's leading poet"; "a preeminent archeologist"

adj. highest in excellence or achievement; "supreme among musicians"; "a supreme endxxeavor"; "supreme courage"

adj. serving as an introduction or preface

adj. designed to orient or acquaint with a situation before proceeding; "a preliminary investigation"

adj. serving or intended to explain or make clear; "explanatory notes"; "an explanatory paragraph"

adj. preceding all others in time; "the premiere showing"

adv. of primary import; "this is primarily a question of economics"; "it was in the first place a local matter"

adv. for the most part; "he is mainly interested in butterflies"

adv. at the beginning; "at first he didn't notice anything strange"

adj. of great interest to the public; "a person in the public eye"

adj. owned or maintained for the public by the national government; "national parks"

adj. open to or in view of all; "an open protest"; "an open letter to the editor"

adj. having some of the features of public institution

adj. supported and operated by the government of a state; "a state university"

adj. accessible to all

adj. at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time; "early morning"; "an early warning"; "early diagnosis"; "an early death"; "took early retirement"; "an early spring"; "early varieties of peas and tomatoes mature before most standard varieties"

adj. relating to or located in the front; "the front lines"; "the front porch"

adj. being or productive of something fresh and unusual; or being as first made or thought of; "a truly original approach"; "with original music"; "an original mind"

adj. of first rank or importance or value; direct and immediate rather than secondhand; "primary goals"; "a primary effect"; "primary sources"; "a primary interest"

adj. of great interest to the public; "a person in the public eye"

adj. owned or maintained for the public by the national government; "national parks"

adj. open to or in view of all; "an open protest"; "an open letter to the editor"

adj. having some of the features of public institution

adj. in the service of the community or nation: "state security"

adj. accessible to all

adj. having the second highest gear ratio; "second gear"

adj. serving to set in motion; "the magazine's inaugural issue"; "the initiative phase in the negotiations"; "an initiatory step toward a treaty"; "his first (or maiden) speech in Congress"; "the liner's maiden voyage"

adj. serving to open or begin; "began the slide show with some introductory remarks"

adj. appropriate to the beginning or start of an event; "the starting point"; "hands in the starting position"

adj. holding first place in a contest; "a champion show dog"; "a prizewinning wine"

adj. surpassing in quality; "top-grade ore"

adj. used of clothing; "my good clothes"; "her Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes"

adj. highest in quality

adj. of greatest advantage or suitability

adj. most desirable possible under a restriction expressed or implied; "an optimum return on capital"; "optimal concentration of a drug"

adj. best of its kind on record: "in record time"

adj. surpassing any previously established record; "a record-breaking high jump"; "record-breaking crowds"

adj. next to the best; "his second-best bed"

adj. (used especially of merchandise) very fine in quality; "made of superfine Flemish cloth"

adj. not capable of being improved on

adj. serving to begin; "the beginning canto of the poem"; "the first verse"

adj. serving to open or begin; "began the slide show with some introductory remarks"

adj. appropriate to the beginning or start of an event; "the starting point"; "hands in the starting position"

n. time between the beginning and the end of a temporal period; "the middle of the war"; "rain during the middle of April"

n. the point in time at which something ends; "the end of the year"; "the ending of warranty period"

n. a coming to an end of a contract period; "the expiry of his driver's license"

adj. coming after all others in time or space or degree or being the only one remaining; "the last time I saw Paris"; "the last day of the month"; "had the last word"; "waited until the last minute"; "he raised his voice in a last supreme call"; "the last game of the season"; "down to his last nickel"

adj. lying between two extremes in time or space or degree; "going from sitting to standing without intermediate pushes with the hands"; "intermediate stages in a process"; "intermediate stops on the route"; "an intermediate level"

adj. being of second rank or importance or value; not direct or immediate; "the stone will be hauled to a secondary crusher"; "a secondary source"; "a secondary issue"; "secondary streams"

adj. functioning in a subsidiary or supporting capacity; "the main library and its auxiliary branches"

adj. a part or voice or instrument or orchestra section lower in pitch than or subordinate to the first; "second flute"; "the second violins"