Meanings
plural client states
- A state that is economically, politically or militarily dependent on another, more powerful state.
On the second day of a US diplomatic push aimed at shoring up the fragile Gaza ceasefire, Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, dismissed as “hogwash” suggestions that his country was a client state of Washington.
2025 October 22, Lorenzo Tondo, William Christou, “‘Hogwash’ that Israel is a US client state, says Netanyahu”, in The Guardian, →ISSNSynonyms: client
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA state that is economically, politically or militarily dependent on another, more powerful state.
Origin
Originally referred to the realm of a client king of Rome.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 從屬國 /从属国, 僕從國 /仆从国
- 從屬國 /从属国 (cóngshǔguó)state that is subordinate
- 僕從國 /仆从国 (púcóng guó, púzòng guó)state that is subordinate
Dutch cliëntstaat
- cliëntstaatstate that is subordinate
Finnish alusvaltio, alamaisvaltio
- alusvaltiostate that is subordinate
- alamaisvaltiostate that is subordinate
French État client
- État clientstate that is subordinate
German Klientelstaat
- Klientelstaatstate that is subordinate
Polish państwo uzależnione
- państwo uzależnionestate that is subordinate
Spanish estado cliente
- estado clientestate that is subordinate
Swedish klientstat
- klientstatstate that is subordinate
Cite this entry
client state. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/client%20state
“client state.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/client%20state. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “client state,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/client%20state.
Source: client state on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.