Citizenship

/ˈsɪtɪzənʃɪp/

nounIntermediateCommonLegal

Definitions

1

The status of being a legal member of a nation, conferring rights and responsibilities.

/ˈsɪtɪzənʃɪp/

nounneutralIntermediate
Legal

The status of being a citizen.

He gained US citizenship after living there for five years.

💡 Simply: Imagine a club: Citizenship is like being a member of a country club. You get special rights, like voting, and you have responsibilities, like following the laws.

👶 For kids: Being a member of a country, like being part of a team!

More Examples

2

Citizenship comes with rights and responsibilities.

How It's Used

Legal

"She applied for citizenship in her adopted country."

Political Science

"The debate focused on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship."

From citizen + -ship. The suffix '-ship' indicates state, condition, or quality.

The concept of citizenship has evolved over time, with ancient Greece and Rome offering early models. The modern understanding often incorporates notions of rights and responsibilities.

Memory tip

Think 'city' and 'ship' - belonging to a city and its community.

Base: citizen
citizenchipcitizienshipcitizenshipp

Usage

20%Spoken
80%Written