failed state

English

Etymology

Initially applied to Somalia in the 1990s.

Pronunciation

  • Audio (Southern England):(file)

Noun

failed state (plural failed states)

  1. (politics) A state that has failed to meet the basic conditions and responsibilities of a sovereign government; one that has lost physical control of its territory, the ability to provide public services, etc.
    • 2011, Rory Stewart, “Here we go again”, in London Review of Books, 33.VII:
      Against these stand the four national security arguments for intervention: fear of a rogue state, fear of a failed state, fear for the neighbours and fear for ourselves.
    • 2022 September 16, Milo Milfort, Anatoly Kurmanaev, Andre Paultre, “Fuel Hike Plunges Haiti Into Near Anarchy”, in The New York Times‎[1], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 4 October 2025:
      In July, the prime minister of the Bahamas, Philip Davis, called Haiti a “failed state,” and told local media that Caribbean leaders are considering opening direct talks with Haitian gang leaders to solve the country’s political crisis.

Translations

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