aspirant state en · NOUN
Etymology
From aspirant (seeking recognition) + state.
Meanings
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A political entity which seeks to achieve international recognition as a sovereign state.
By claiming that nuclear weapons are required for its security, a nuclear aspirant state can provoke a variety of responses among its neighbors and rivals which include, but are not limited to, forming a belief that the nuclear aspirant state is serious (or not), deciding to augment security capabilities, crafting a targeted non/counterproliferation policy, and so forth.
2015, Thomas E. Doyle, II, The Ethics of Nuclear Weapons Dissemination: Moral Dilemmas of Aspiration, Avoidance and Prevention, Taylor & Francis, →ISBN, page 13:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| aspirant states | Number=Plur | lexicographic |