dual citizenship

American  

[doo-uhl sit-uh-zuhn-ship, -suhn-, dyoo-] / ˈdu əl ˈsɪt ə zənˌʃɪp, -sən-, ˈdyu- /

noun

1. Also called dual nationality.  the status of a person who is a legal citizen of two or more countries.

2. citizenship of both a state and a nation, in nations consisting of a federation of states, as the U.S.

---

Etymology

Origin of dual citizenship

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Canada’s count, at more than 250,000, doesn’t fully capture dual citizenship, or the flow of Americans whose daily lives straddle the border.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

I had to give up my Indian citizenship in order to get it; there's no dual citizenship allowed between the two countries.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2025

Navy program involving nuclear energy, a position that required a top-secret clearance and prohibited dual citizenship.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2025

The 25-year-old was born in Kent but moved to Western Australia at the age of nine, and maintained dual citizenship during his 16 years living there.

From BBC • Aug. 19, 2024

Well, it seems to me that if anything, Auguste holds dual citizenship in the United States and in the Sauk and Fox nation.

From Shaman by Shea, Robert