Dictionary

nationality en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˌnæʃ.əˈnæl.ɪ.ti/
• (US) audio
• /ˌnæʃˈnæl.ɪ.ti/
• /-ˈnæl.ti/
• /-ˈnæl.ə.ti/

Etymology

From national + -ity, perhaps after French nationalité; ultimately from Latin nātio (“nation, people”).

Meanings

1. Legal membership of a particular nation or state, by origin, birth, naturalization, ownership, allegiance or otherwise.
   • Please include your nationality on the form.
   • By living in the country for five years, you are entitled to get nationality.
   • Stefi was born in Spain to a Brazilian father and a Chilean mother, so is eligible for three nationalities.
   • Guatemala has pledged a 40% increase in deportation flights carrying Guatemalans and migrants of other nationalities from the United States, President Bernardo Arévalo announced Wednesday during a press conference with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 2025 February 5, Michael Rios, “Guatemala to increase deportation flights from US carrying migrants from other countries”, in CNN:
   • One reason why many Asian countries oppose dual nationality is a belief that it can create divided loyalties among citizens, said Jelena Dzankic, co-director of the Global Citizenship Observatory (GLOBALCIT), an international citizenship research network. 2021 March 15, Jessie Yeung, “These Asian countries are giving dual citizens an ultimatum on nationality – and loyalty”, in CNN:
2. A people sharing a common origin, culture and/or language, and possibly constituting a nation-state.
   • Rosa Luxemburg held that the recognition of the right of nationalities to self-determination was one of the Bolsheviks' gravest mistakes. 1978 [1976], Leszek Kołakowski, translated by P[aul] S[teven] Falla, Main Currents of Marxism, volume II: The Golden Age, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Główne nurty marksizmu: rozwój (in Polish), →ISBN, →OCLC, page 92:
3. (archaic) National, i.e. ethnic and/or cultural, character or identity.
   • […]permit me to say that the Harranians were Arabs and that the Arabs in occupying Spain and Andalusia did not lose their nationality; they remained Arabs. […] The fact that they preserved their former religion, Sabaeanism, does not mean they should be considered foreign to the Arab nationality. 1968, Sayyid Jamāl ad-Dīn, “Answer of Jamāl ad-Dīn to Renan”, in Nikki R. Keddie, translated by Nikki R. Keddie, An Islamic Response to Imperialism, University of California Press, →LCCN, page 185:
4. (archaic) Nationalism or patriotism.
   • ‘You are, to be sure, wonderfully free from that nationality: but so it happens, that you employ the only Scotch shoe-black in London.’ 1791, James Boswell, Life of Johnson, Oxford, published 2008, page 599:
5. (obsolete) Political existence, independence or unity as a national entity.

Forms

Deriveds

double nationality · antinationality · dual nationality · ethnonationality · unnationality · nationalitarian · nationality sign · transnationality

Relateds

national · nationalise · nationalism · nationwide · nationalist · nationalize · nation-state · nation · naturalize · nationalistic · nationhood

Synonyms

ancestry (membership of a nation or state) · national status (membership of a nation or state) · nation (a people) · persuasion (a people) · self-rule (political existence as a national entity) · sovereignty (political existence as a national entity) · ethnic group (a people) · faith (a people) · self-determination (political existence as a national entity) · freedom (political existence as a national entity) · parentage (membership of a nation or state) · denomination (a people) · nationalism (nationalism) · autarchy (political existence as a national entity) · cultural group (a people) · residence (membership of a nation or state) · affiliation (membership of a nation or state) · enfranchisement (membership of a nation or state) · independence (political existence as a national entity) · race (a people) · race (membership of a nation or state) · patriotic sentiment (nationalism) · citizenship (membership of a nation or state) · origin (membership of a nation or state) · group (a people) · confederation (a people) · clan (a people) · naturalization (membership of a nation or state) · origin (national character or identity) · ethnicity (membership of a nation or state) · sect (a people) · culture (a people) · colour (national character or identity) · status (membership of a nation or state) · people (a people) · descent (membership of a nation or state) · separation (political existence as a national entity) · allegiance (membership of a nation or state) · color (national character or identity) · tribe (a people) · nationhood (political existence as a national entity) · autonomy (political existence as a national entity) · ethnicity (a people) · ethnicity (national character or identity) · liberty (political existence as a national entity) · patriotism (nationalism) · ancestry (national character or identity) · identity (national character or identity) · self-government (political existence as a national entity)

Translations (173)

uz millat (membership of a nation or state) · kmr miliyet (membership of a nation or state) · el ιθαγένεια (national character or identity) · ru на́ция (people belonging to a nation or state — see also nation) · tl katauhambansa (membership of a nation or state) · hi राष्ट्रीयता (membership of a nation or state) · az milliyyət (membership of a nation or state) · ru э́тнос (people belonging to a nation or state — see also nation) · id kebangsaan (membership of a nation or state) · id nasionalisme (national character or identity) · es nacionalidad (membership of a nation or state) · uk наро́д (people belonging to a nation or state — see also nation) · my လူမျိုး (national character or identity) · tg миллачӣ (membership of a nation or state) · ur قَومِیَت (people belonging to a nation or state — see also nation) · tl kabansaan (membership of a nation or state) · cs národní charakter (national character or identity) · uk незале́жність (political existence as a national entity — see also nationhood) · alt ук (membership of a nation or state) · nan-hbl 國籍 /国籍 (national character or identity) · ur قَومِیَت (membership of a nation or state) · tr milliyet (membership of a nation or state) · ru наро́дность (membership of a nation or state) · tg миллият (membership of a nation or state) · he לאומיות (national character or identity) · bg гра́жданство (political existence as a national entity — see also nationhood) · sk občianstvo (membership of a nation or state) · am ዜግነት (membership of a nation or state) · km សញ្ជាតិ (membership of a nation or state) · uk наро́дність (membership of a nation or state) · ru пле́мя (people belonging to a nation or state — see also nation) · cs občané (people belonging to a nation or state — see also nation) · ga náisiúntacht (membership of a nation or state) · ro naționalitate (membership of a nation or state) · uk наро́дність (national character or identity) · uk націона́льність (membership of a nation or state) · nl nationaliteit (membership of a nation or state) · fi kansallinen olemassaolo (political existence as a national entity — see also nationhood) · fi kansakunta (people belonging to a nation or state — see also nation) · hu nemzetiség (national character or identity) · vi quốc tịch (membership of a nation or state) · eo nacieco (membership of a nation or state) · he לאום (people belonging to a nation or state — see also nation) · lt tautybė (membership of a nation or state) · af nasionaliteit (membership of a nation or state) · hi नागरिकता (membership of a nation or state) · yi נאַציאָנאַליטעט (membership of a nation or state) · uk самості́йність (political existence as a national entity — see also nationhood) · ro националитате (membership of a nation or state) · ckb نەتەوایەتی (membership of a nation or state) · cs národnost (people belonging to a nation or state — see also nation) · he אומה (people belonging to a nation or state — see also nation) · si ජාතිකත්වය (membership of a nation or state) · ar جِنْسِيَّة (national character or identity) · tk millet (membership of a nation or state) · nl nationaliteit (national character or identity) · ka მოქალაქეობა (membership of a nation or state) · prs مِلِّیَت (membership of a nation or state) · uk на́ція (people belonging to a nation or state — see also nation) · sl državljanstvo (membership of a nation or state) · ti ዜግነት (membership of a nation or state) · sv nationalitet (membership of a nation or state) · hu nemzetiség (political existence as a national entity — see also nationhood) · ja 国籍 (membership of a nation or state) · da nationalitet (membership of a nation or state) · de Nationalität (membership of a nation or state) · fr nationalité (membership of a nation or state) · hu nemzetiség (membership of a nation or state) · cs občanství (membership of a nation or state) · nrf nâtionalité (membership of a nation or state) · ba милләт (membership of a nation or state) · kk ұлт (membership of a nation or state) · be нацыяна́льнасць (national character or identity) · uk націона́льність (political existence as a national entity — see also nationhood) · sw uraya (membership of a nation or state) · ca nacionalitat (membership of a nation or state) · prs قَوْمِیَّت (membership of a nation or state) · sk národnosť (membership of a nation or state) · fur nazionalitât (membership of a nation or state) · sw uraya (national character or identity) · cs obyvatelé (people belonging to a nation or state — see also nation) · ms kerakyatan (membership of a nation or state) · ko 국적 (membership of a nation or state) · uk автоно́мія (political existence as a national entity — see also nationhood) · ps مليت (membership of a nation or state) · sw uraya (political existence as a national entity — see also nationhood) · mk национа́лност (membership of a nation or state) · th สัญชาติ (membership of a nation or state) · ru национа́льность (membership of a nation or state) · pt nacionalidade (membership of a nation or state) · ar جِنْسِيَّة (membership of a nation or state) · tt милләт (membership of a nation or state) · nb nasjonalitet (membership of a nation or state) · mn яс үндэс (membership of a nation or state) · ug مىللەت (membership of a nation or state) · fi kansalaisuus (membership of a nation or state) · rom themutnipen (membership of a nation or state) · nn nasjonalitet (membership of a nation or state) · hy ազգություն (national character or identity) · ru национа́льность (national character or identity) · cmn 國籍 /国籍 (national character or identity) · et rahvus (membership of a nation or state) · nan-hbl 國籍 /国籍 (membership of a nation or state) · be наро́днасць (membership of a nation or state) · pl narodowość (membership of a nation or state) · hy քաղաքացիություն (membership of a nation or state) · el εθνικότητα (national character or identity) · ce къам (membership of a nation or state) · nl nationaliteit (people belonging to a nation or state — see also nation) · ru гражда́нство (membership of a nation or state) · ur مِلِّیَت (membership of a nation or state) · ota ملیت (membership of a nation or state) · pl obywatelstwo (membership of a nation or state) · my အမျိုးသား (membership of a nation or state) · is þjóðerni (membership of a nation or state) · bn জাতীয়তা (membership of a nation or state) · uk націона́льність (national character or identity) · he לאומיות (political existence as a national entity — see also nationhood) · tg қавмият (membership of a nation or state) · sq kombësi (membership of a nation or state) · el εθνικότητα (membership of a nation or state) · hi राष्ट्रीयता (national character or identity) · sh nacionálnōst (membership of a nation or state) · pt nacionalidade (national character or identity) · cmn 國籍 /国籍 (membership of a nation or state) · be грамадзя́нства (membership of a nation or state) · be наро́днасць (national character or identity) · sh национа́лно̄ст (membership of a nation or state) · sw utaifa (people belonging to a nation or state — see also nation) · ru наро́д (people belonging to a nation or state — see also nation) · he אזרחות (membership of a nation or state) · cs národnost (membership of a nation or state) · fa-ira قُوْمِیَّت (membership of a nation or state) · gl nacionalidade (membership of a nation or state) · hu nemzet (people belonging to a nation or state — see also nation) · fi kansa (people belonging to a nation or state — see also nation) · uk люд (people belonging to a nation or state — see also nation) · uk е́тнос (people belonging to a nation or state — see also nation) · nl volksaard (national character or identity) · sw uraya (people belonging to a nation or state — see also nation) · lb Nationalitéit (membership of a nation or state) · yue 國籍 /国籍 (national character or identity) · be нацыяна́льнасць (membership of a nation or state) · et rahvuslikkus (membership of a nation or state) · hu állampolgárság (membership of a nation or state) · it nazionalità (membership of a nation or state) · bg национа́лност (membership of a nation or state) · uk громадя́нство (membership of a nation or state) · ht nasyonalite (membership of a nation or state) · id bangsa (membership of a nation or state) · id warga negara (people belonging to a nation or state — see also nation) · fi kansallisuus (national character or identity) · ky улут (membership of a nation or state) · hy ազգություն (membership of a nation or state) · uk пле́м'я (people belonging to a nation or state — see also nation) · fi itsenäisyys (political existence as a national entity — see also nationhood) · yue 國籍 /国籍 (membership of a nation or state) · lo ສັນຊາດ (membership of a nation or state) · mt nazzjonalità (membership of a nation or state) · nl natie (people belonging to a nation or state — see also nation) · nl volk (people belonging to a nation or state — see also nation) · mn үндэстэн (membership of a nation or state) · sw utaifa (national character or identity) · bg гра́жданство (membership of a nation or state) · ms kewarganegaraan (membership of a nation or state) · fa-ira مِلِّیَت (membership of a nation or state) · fo tjóðskapur (membership of a nation or state) · sw utaifa (membership of a nation or state) · id kewarganegaraan (people belonging to a nation or state — see also nation) · lv tautība (membership of a nation or state) · ru наро́дность (national character or identity) · ka ეროვნება (membership of a nation or state) · alt национальность (membership of a nation or state)