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Synonyms

nationality

American  
[nash-uh-nal-i-tee] / ˌnæʃ əˈnæl ɪ ti /

noun

plural

nationalities
  1. the status of belonging to a particular nation, whether by birth or naturalization.

    the nationality of an immigrant.

  2. the relationship of property, holdings, etc., to a particular nation, or to one or more of its members.

    the nationality of a ship.

  3. nationalism.

  4. existence as a distinct nation; national independence.

    a small colony that has just achieved nationality.

  5. a nation or people.

    the nationalities of the Americas.

  6. a national quality or character.

    Nationalities tend to submerge and disappear in a metropolis.


nationality British  
/ ˌnæʃəˈnælɪtɪ /

noun

  1. the state or fact of being a citizen of a particular nation

  2. a body of people sharing common descent, history, language, etc; a nation

  3. a national group

    30 different nationalities are found in this city

  4. national character or quality

  5. the state or fact of being a nation; national status

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of nationality

First recorded in 1685–95; national + -ity

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Years later on filings tied to the mansion plots on Billionaires’ Row, he listed his nationality as Cypriot.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

To be eligible for asylum, a non-citizen had to demonstrate a well-founded fear of persecution in their home country due to their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

We were able to combine these two datasets using fields common to both of them, including date of arrest, gender, age, nationality, location and method of arrest.

From Salon • Mar. 24, 2026

Tajikistan's President, Emomali Rakhmon, said at the time of the attack that "terrorists have no nationality".

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

As Martin J. S. Rudwick puts it, "No geologist of any nationality whose work was taken seriously by other geologists advocated a timescale confined within the limits of a literalistic exegesis of Genesis."

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson