Phrase guide

puppet state

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A state governed by a puppet government.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: government, politics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a government that is appointed by and whose affairs are directed by an outside authority that may impose hardships on those governed

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: puppet government, pupet regime

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: government, authorities, regime

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

37 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: marionettestaat — state governed by a puppet government
  • Afrikaans: vasalstaat — state governed by a puppet government
  • Basque: estatu txotxongilo — state governed by a puppet government
  • Catalan: estat titella — state governed by a puppet government
  • Chinese Mandarin: 傀儡國家 /傀儡国家 (kuǐlěi guójiā) — state governed by a puppet government
  • Chinese Mandarin: 偽國 /伪国 (wěiguó) — state governed by a puppet government
  • Danish: marionetstat — state governed by a puppet government
  • Danish: vasalstat — state governed by a puppet government
  • Dutch: marionettenstaat — state governed by a puppet government
  • Dutch: vazalstaat — state governed by a puppet government
  • Finnish: nukkevaltio — state governed by a puppet government
  • French: État fantoche — state governed by a puppet government
  • Galician: estado fantoche — state governed by a puppet government
  • Galician: estado monicreque — state governed by a puppet government
  • Georgian: მარიონეტული სახელმწიფო (marioneṭuli saxelmc̣ipo) — state governed by a puppet government
  • German: Marionettenstaat — state governed by a puppet government
  • German: Vasallenstaat — state governed by a puppet government
  • Hungarian: bábállam — state governed by a puppet government
  • Italian: stato fantoccio — state governed by a puppet government
  • Japanese: 傀儡国 (kairaikoku) — state governed by a puppet government
  • Korean: 괴뢰국 (goeroeguk) — state governed by a puppet government
  • Latvian: marionešu valsts — state governed by a puppet government
  • Lithuanian: marionetinė valstybė — state governed by a puppet government
  • Norwegian: marionettstat — state governed by a puppet government
  • Norwegian: lydrike — state governed by a puppet government
  • Polish: państwo marionetkowe — state governed by a puppet government
  • Portuguese: estado fantoche — state governed by a puppet government
  • Punjabi: ਚਮਚਾਰਾਜ (camcārāj) — state governed by a puppet government
  • Punjabi: ਪੁਤਲੀਰਾਜ (putlīrāj) — state governed by a puppet government
  • Punjabi: ਕਠਪੁਤਲੀਰਾਜ (kaṭhputalīrāj) — state governed by a puppet government
  • Romanian: stat marionetă — state governed by a puppet government
  • Russian: марионе́точное госуда́рство (marionétočnoje gosudárstvo) — state governed by a puppet government
  • Spanish: estado títere — state governed by a puppet government
  • Swedish: marionettstat — state governed by a puppet government
  • Swedish: lydstat — state governed by a puppet government
  • Tamil: பொம்மையாட்சி (pommaiyāṭci) — state governed by a puppet government
  • Ukrainian: маріоне́ткова держа́ва (marionétkova deržáva) — state governed by a puppet government