The term "State" most commonly refers to a centralized political organization that governs a defined territory and its society, often synonymous with a country. This includes a sovereign state, recognized internationally, a nation-state where people share a common identity, or a constituent state, which is a political subdivision within a larger federation, like the individual states of the United States. Beyond governance, "State" also describes a philosophical concept, such as the "state of nature" before organized societies existed.
In science and technology, it denotes a specific condition or configuration, exemplified by the "state of matter" (solid, liquid, or gas) in physics, or a "program state" in computer science. Additionally, "State" often refers specifically to the United States Department of State, the federal executive department responsible for the nation's foreign affairs.