statehood
/ˈsteɪtˌhʊd/
noun
- The condition or status of being a state, especially a self-governing political entity within a larger country.
- Many debates about statehood focus on the rights and responsibilities that come with being a state.
- The territory is campaigning for statehood so it can have full representation in the national government.
- Hawaii achieved statehood in 1959, becoming the 50th state of the United States.