national

[ nash-uh-nl, nash-nuhl ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or maintained by a nation as an organized whole or independent political unit:

   national affairs.

2. owned, preserved, or maintained by the federal government:

   a national wildlife refuge.

3. peculiar or common to the whole people of a country:

   national customs.

4. devoted to one's own nation, its interests, etc.; patriotic:

   to stir up national pride.

5. nationalist.
6. concerning or encompassing an entire nation:

   a national radio network.

7. limited to one nation.

noun

1. a citizen or subject of a particular nation who is entitled to its protection:

   U.S. nationals living abroad.

2. Often nationals. a national competition, tournament, or the like:

   We're invited to Minneapolis for the nationals.

3. a national company or organization.

national

¹

/ ˈnæʃənəl /

adjective

1. of, involving, or relating to a nation as a whole
2. of, relating to, or characteristic of a particular nation

   the national dress of Poland

3. rare.
   nationalistic or patriotic

noun

1. a citizen or subject
2. a national newspaper

National

²

/ ˈnæʃənəl /

noun

1. the National
   short for the Grand National

Derived Forms

• ˈnationally, adverb

Other Words From

• nation·al·ly adverb
• anti·nation·al adjective
• anti·nation·al·ly adverb
• non·nation·al adjective noun
• non·nation·al·ly adverb
• pre·nation·al adjective
• pro·nation·al adjective
• pseudo·nation·al adjective
• pseudo·nation·al·ly adverb
• quasi-nation·al adjective
• quasi-nation·al·ly adverb
• sub·nation·al adjective
• un·nation·al adjective
• un·nation·al·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of national¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; nation + -al ¹

Example Sentences

The scheme has been condemned by civil liberties groups and queried by the National Association of Head Teachers.

From The Daily Beast

Portraits of Lincoln and Eisenhower were removed from the offices of the Republican National Committee.

From The Daily Beast

Whether he can do it on the national stage is the unanswered question.

From The Daily Beast

We face a lot of problems at this moment in our national and global history.

From The Daily Beast

But the last national figure to wield ancient personal authority in an explicitly religious way was Robert F. Kennedy.

From The Daily Beast

He was long a correspondent of the National Intelligencer and other papers, residing in Virginia.

From Project Gutenberg

He has come to believe in such things as old age pensions and national insurance.

From Project Gutenberg

I must make no mistake, and blunder into a national type of features, all wrong; if I make your mask, it must do us credit.

From Project Gutenberg

Opening of the national assembly of France, after the abdication of Louis Philippe.

From Project Gutenberg

The courts in every state must also follow the decisions of the federal courts in all matters of a national character.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• civil
• communal
• domestic
• ethnic
• governmental
• internal
• interstate
• nationwide
• public
• social