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Who were the co-writers of the modern classic film Citizen Kane?

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citizen

American  

[sit-uh-zuhn, -suhn] / ˈsɪt ə zən, -sən /

noun

• citizens
  plural

1. 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).

2. an inhabitant of a city or town, especially one entitled to its privileges or franchises.

3. an inhabitant, or denizen.

   The deer is a citizen of our woods.

4. a civilian, as distinguished from a soldier, police officer, etc.

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citizen British  

/ ˈsɪtɪzən /

noun

1. a native registered or naturalized member of a state, nation, or other political community Compare alien

2. an inhabitant of a city or town

3. a native or inhabitant of any place

4. a civilian, as opposed to a soldier, public official, etc

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• citizeness
  noun
• noncitizen
  noun
• undercitizen
  noun
• citizenly
  adjective
• uncitizenly
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• citizens
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

citizen citizens

Becerra’s mother is from Guadalajara, Mexico, but his father was born in Sacramento and raised in Tijuana — making him a U.S. citizen and not a legal immigrant.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

Kenya has confirmed its first case of Ebola - a Kenyan citizen who has been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo for the past seven years.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

Researchers combined DNA analysis with museum specimens, field surveys, citizen science observations, and studies of insects raised in captivity.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026

He traveled as a private citizen, rather than a politician, reveling in the region’s splendors, its ruins and estates, gardens and canals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

If a citizen, he may lose the right to vote; if not, he becomes immediately deportable.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Earlier this year, a court in Estonia convicted Yermolayev's son, Artur, of defrauding its citizens out of millions of euros through such "offisy", as the scam networks are known in Ukraine.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

ICE has been involved in several high-profile shootings this year, including the killing of two US citizens in Minneapolis, which sparked angry protests.

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026

Thirteen miles away in Oakland the following day, some senior citizens sat down with a group of students to address AI angst at a grassroots tech event.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

Currently, Connecticut’s just-cause eviction laws only cover senior citizens and people with disabilities in buildings with more than five units.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

In January 1943, Soviet soldiers managed to get control of the railway in and out of Leningrad, allowing a little relief for the desperate citizens of the city.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

Related Words

• inhabitant
• national
• resident
• taxpayer