Meanings
plural states of siege
- lawAn exceptional legal condition in which constitutional limits on the powers of the government are suspended, usually owing to military necessity and implying martial law.
As soon as Nicaragua entered the war, Somoza declared a state of siege that remained in effect for four years.
1995, David E. Whisnant, Rascally Signs in Sacred Places: The Politics of Culture in Nicaragua, page 1161 more example
Several gentlemen of authority of the city of Belfast actually waited upon the Government and requested them not only to abolish the local police force but to proclaim a state of siege in the town of Belfast.
1865 May 29, Sir Robert Peel, 3rd Baronet, “Constabulary Force (Ireland) Act Amendment Bill”, in parliamentary debates (House of Commons), volume 179, column 982
Origin
- Frenchétat de siège
- Englishstate of siege
Calque of French état de siège, first codified in a 1791 law of the Constituent Assembly during the French Revolution as an aggravated condition of war justifying the subordination of the civilian government to military authorities. Extended to apply to internal rebellion by a French law of 1797; subsequently broadened again in 1849 to denote any political state of emergency.
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans staat van beleg, krygswet
- staat van belegmilitary state of emergency
- krygswetmilitary state of emergency
Basque setio-egoera
- setio-egoeramilitary state of emergency
Catalan estat de setge
- estat de setgemilitary state of emergency
Dutch staat van beleg, krijgswet
- staat van belegmilitary state of emergency
- krijgswetmilitary state of emergency
Estonian piiramisseisukord
- piiramisseisukordmilitary state of emergency
Finnish sotatila, poikkeustila
- sotatilamilitary state of emergency
- poikkeustilamilitary state of emergency
French état de siège
- état de siègemilitary state of emergency
German Belagerungszustand
- Belagerungszustandmilitary state of emergency
Greek κατάσταση πολιορκίας
- κατάσταση πολιορκίας (katástasi poliorkías)military state of emergency
Hungarian ostromállapot
- ostromállapotmilitary state of emergency
Italian stato d'assedio
- stato d'assediomilitary state of emergency
Norwegian beleiringstilstand
- beleiringstilstandmilitary state of emergency
Polish stan oblężenia, stan wyjątkowy
- stan oblężeniamilitary state of emergency
- stan wyjątkowymilitary state of emergency
Portuguese estado de sítio
- estado de sítiomilitary state of emergency
Romanian stare de asediu
- stare de asediumilitary state of emergency
Russian оса́дное положе́ние
- оса́дное положе́ние (osádnoje položénije)military state of emergency
Spanish estado de sitio
- estado de sitiomilitary state of emergency
Swedish belägringstillstånd
- belägringstillståndmilitary state of emergency
Turkish savaş hali
- savaş halimilitary state of emergency
Cite this entry
state of siege. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/state%20of%20siege
“state of siege.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/state%20of%20siege. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “state of siege,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/state%20of%20siege.
Source: state of siege on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.