citizenship
Americannoun
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the state of being vested with the rights, privileges, and duties of a citizen.
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the character of an individual viewed as a member of society; behavior in terms of the duties, obligations, and functions of a citizen.
an award for good citizenship.
noun
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the condition or status of a citizen, with its rights and duties
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a person's conduct as a citizen
an award for good citizenship
Etymology
Origin of citizenship
Explanation
Citizenship is the status of being a citizen. If you have citizenship in a country, you have the right to live there, work, vote, and pay taxes! Citizenship comes from the Latin word for city, because in the earlier days of human governments, people identified themselves as belonging to cities more than countries. Citizenship is more than merely living somewhere. If you have citizenship, you have a whole set of rights that non-citizens might not have. Usually you have citizenship in the country you're born in, but if you're an immigrant from somewhere else, you have to apply for it.
Vocabulary lists containing citizenship
Michelle Obama's Speech at the 2016 DNC
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Citizenship (Civics) - Middle School
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Ancient Greece, Lessons 1–3
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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.
Under a new law the governor signed on March 25, K-12 civics education is required to incorporate the historical role of religion and religious liberty in American constitutional government and citizenship.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
In the Slate Plus bonus episode, Mark unpacks what went down during the birthright citizenship oral arguments at the Supreme Court with Evan Bernick, a co-author of a key amicus brief in the Barbara v.
From Slate • Apr. 9, 2026
Hilton joined Stanford University in California as a visiting scholar in 2012, and said he was applying for US citizenship in 2019.
From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026
If you’re a naturalized citizen, your citizenship is subject to review.
From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026
When blacks got close up on it, the gleam of full citizenship failed to shine as brightly as they had hoped.
From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield
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.
