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.
Mr. Guimarães began the process of obtaining U.S. citizenship, bringing along his girlfriend, Catarina, in the hope that she, too, could settle here.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
He later allegedly acted as a front man and money launderer for Maduro, and in return was granted Venezuelan citizenship and a diplomatic passport.
From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026
Zohar mentioned the country's Citizenship Law, saying it "allows for the revocation of citizenship due to a 'breach of allegiance to the State of Israel'".
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
Years later, she got a green card and, years after that, obtained citizenship.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Later that evening, when Hanako and Baachan were in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner, Hanako asked, “Will you please come to America when my parents get their citizenship back?”
From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata
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.
