Nationality

ˌnæʃəˈnæləti

nounBeginner🔥Very CommonLegal
2 meanings3 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

The state of belonging to a nation; the legal relationship between a person and a state.

ˌnæʃəˈnæləti

nounneutralBeginner
Legal

The status of belonging to a particular nation.

She applied for dual nationality to gain citizenship in both countries.

💡 Simply: It's like your official team for life! It's the country you're a citizen of.

👶 For kids: Being a member of a country, like being from America or Japan!

More Examples

2

His nationality is American.

3

Nationality is often determined by birth or naturalization.

How It's Used

Legal

"The requirements for acquiring nationality vary from country to country."

Politics

"Citizenship is often conflated with nationality."

2

A group of people sharing a common origin, culture, or descent, often forming a nation.

ˌnæʃəˈnæləti

nounneutralmedium
General

A group of people with a shared national identity.

The conference hosted speakers of various nationalities.

💡 Simply: It's a group of people who feel like they belong to the same country and share similar things.

👶 For kids: A group of people who are from the same place and have similar stories and ways of doing things.

More Examples

2

The restaurant catered to a variety of nationalities.

3

The cultural exchange program aimed to promote understanding between different nationalities.

How It's Used

Sociology

"The diversity of the city reflects different nationalities."

Travel

"The passport control asked for her nationality."

Tip:Think of different groups united by a nation.

From Medieval Latin *nationalitas*, from *nationalis* ('national'), from Latin *natio* ('nation, people, tribe') + -*al*, -*ity*.

The word has been used since the 17th century, initially referring to the fact of being part of a nation.

Memory tip

Think of a nation's identity card.

Word Origin

LanguageMedieval Latin
Original meaning

"pertaining to a nation"

dual nationalityacquire nationalityforeign nationalitynationality statusnationality requirements

Common misspellings

nationallitynationlitynationalty

Usage

45%Spoken
55%Written