A Dictionary of Law, Containing Definitions of the Terms and Phrases of American and English Jurisprudence, Ancient and Modern Including The Principal Terms of International, Constitutional and Commercial Law; with a Collection of Legal Maims and Numerous Select Titles from the Civil Law and Other Foreign Systems. By Henry Campbell Black, West Publishing Co. 1891. Notice the above title to this dictionary is for "legal" systems not systems of law under "Natural Law." Legal systems are not necessarily real, much of the legal system is "Fictional." (See videos on "Legal Fictions.) STATE, n. A body politic, or society of men, united together for the purpose of promoting their mutual safety and advantage, by the joint efforts of their combined strength. One of the component commonwealths or states of the United States of America. The people of a state, in their collective capacity, considered as the party wronged by a criminal deed; the public; as in the title of a cause, "the State vs. A. B. " The section of territory occupied by one of the United States. ---------------------------------- A body politic or society - abstract, types of government or rules and regulations. A commonwealth - an independent state government. states of the United States of America - the free, sovereign and independent states. Independent state government. People of a state - First an independent, sovereign state, where the settlers and inhabitants create a government for themselves over their particular territory. Then they join a "union" (abstract noun) and allow for the creation of dependent states within its boundaries that will help defend its state lands against enemies. People of a state - a federally created dependent non-sovereign state. On federal lands. The people on the federal lands are a political body or society - the military and civil servants. The section of territory - the place to which the society, body politic or people of that territory enforce their form of rules, regulations, etc.