noun
small country with a small population
A yojijukugo derived from Laozi's ideal of a state: a small, sparsely populated nation where people live contentedly without ambition for expansion or complex governance. Used in philosophical, political, or literary contexts.
老子の理想とする国家は小国寡民である。
The ideal state envisioned by Laozi is a small country with a small population.
この政治家は小国寡民の理念に共感している。
This politician sympathizes with the ideal of a small, sparsely populated nation.