citizen
Americannoun
-
a native or naturalized member of a state or nation who owes allegiance to its government and is entitled to its protection (distinguished from alien).
-
an inhabitant of a city or town, especially one entitled to its privileges or franchises.
-
an inhabitant, or denizen.
The deer is a citizen of our woods.
-
a civilian, as distinguished from a soldier, police officer, etc.
noun
-
a native registered or naturalized member of a state, nation, or other political community Compare alien
-
an inhabitant of a city or town
-
a native or inhabitant of any place
-
a civilian, as opposed to a soldier, public official, etc
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of citizen
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English citisein, from Anglo-French citesein, Old French citeain, from cite city + -ain -an; change from citeain to citesein perhaps by association with Anglo-French denzain denizen
Explanation
It's pretty hard to be on this planet and not be recognized as a citizen of somewhere. You can be a citizen of a city, a country, or the world. Citizen can mean "an inhabitant of a particular place." To be recognized as an official citizen of a town, city, or country, one typically has to meet certain requirements. In return, one gets certain rights, such as the right to vote. In other uses, a citizen may just be someone who lives in a place, such as a "citizen of the world." That's a nice thing to be, but it's not going to get you social security payments when you retire.
Vocabulary lists containing citizen
Election Lingo
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Electoral Elocution: The Verbiage of Voting
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Civil Rights Movement"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Public Citizen, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group, called it a "monstrous theft of taxpayer resources."
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
According to historian Patrick Weil, author of “The Sovereign Citizen: Denaturalization and the Origins of the American Republic,” more than 22,000 Americans had their citizenship revoked between 1906 and 1967.
From Salon • Apr. 26, 2026
Citizen scientists will then be encouraged to gather sediment from rooftops and gutters and use magnets, sieves, and microscopes provided by the project to isolate potential micrometeorites.
From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026
Bystander footage livestreamed on the Citizen app showed police directing traffic away from the scene.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 15, 2026
So Leroy got named Good School Citizen of the Month—“for an act of kindness,” the award read.
From "The Best School Year Ever" by Barbara Robinson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
