stateless

adjective

state·​less ˈstāt-ləs 

1

: having no state

2

: lacking the status of a national

a stateless refugee

statelessness noun

Examples of stateless in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While 435 Nicaraguans have been officially stripped of their nationality, thousands more are effectively stateless as the regime revokes passports and denies reentry to exiles, including those who have legally settled abroad under humanitarian parole. —Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 24 Feb. 2025

At the heart of Mo, a semi-autobiographical Netflix dramedy from co-creator and star Mo Amer, is the tension between Mo the regular guy and Mo the stateless survivor, a man of estimable charms and abilities who is legally prohibited from establishing a legitimate career. —Judy Berman, TIME, 3 Feb. 2025

But legal experts say the true scope of the order is unclear and could lead some children to be temporarily stateless. —Daniella Silva, NBC News, 1 Feb. 2025

Aside from arguing the executive order’s constitutionality, the states say the order would subject all the children affected by it to deportation and make many of them stateless. —Gene Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for stateless

• weightless