stato

state; condition

noun STAH-toh Common

Origin: Latin status (standing, condition)

Also means

past participle of essere/stare (been)

Usage Note

Stato is both a common noun (lo stato, the state/government) and the past participle of essere (sono stato, I have been). As a noun, Stato (capitalized) means the government or country, while lowercase stato means condition or status. The phrase stato civile refers to marital status on official forms.

Examples

"Lo stato investe nell'istruzione."

Natural Translation

The state invests in education.

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