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.
Years later, she got a green card and, years after that, obtained citizenship.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Under Canada’s newly liberalized citizenship laws, nearly one in four residents of the New England states may be eligible, along with millions more Americans across the country.
From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026
Stern: I want to turn to the birthright citizenship case, because it’s another interesting data point here.
From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2026
None of the identities stuck, as both Belgian and Swiss authorities quickly disproved the pair’s claims to citizenship.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Mom is sitting at the table with a cup of tea in one hand and her citizenship book in the other.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
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.
