"The Prince" starts by describing the subject matter it will handle. In the first sentence, Machiavelli uses the word "state" (Italian "stato", which could also mean "") to cover, in neutral terms, "all forms of organization of supreme political power, whether republican or princely." The way in which the word "state" came to acquire this modern type of meaning during the Renaissance has been the subject of much academic debate, with this sentence and similar ones in the works of Machiavelli being considered particularly important.