citizenship

American  

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

noun

1. the state of being vested with the rights, privileges, and duties of a citizen.

2. 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.

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citizenship British  

/ ˈsɪtɪzənˌʃɪp /

noun

1. the condition or status of a citizen, with its rights and duties

2. a person's conduct as a citizen

   an award for good citizenship

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Etymology

Origin of citizenship

First recorded in 1605–15; citizen + -ship

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.

Related Words

• autonomy
• democracy
• emancipation
• exemption
• immunity
• liberation
• privilege
• release
• relief
• self-determination
• self-government
• sovereignty