Usage Note
État (lowercase) means the state or condition something is in (en bon état = in good condition; dans un état critique = in a critical state). L'État (capitalised) means the State as a political institution. The expression dans tous ses états means 'in a state' or 'all worked up'. The États-Unis are the United States.
Examples
"La voiture est en mauvais état."
Natural Translation
The car is in bad condition.

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