national

[ nash-uh-nl, nash-nuhl ]

/ ˈnæʃ ə nl, ˈnæʃ nəl /

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See synonyms for: national / nationals / nationally on Thesaurus.com

adjective

of, relating to, or maintained by a nation as an organized whole or independent political unit: national affairs.

owned, preserved, or maintained by the federal government: a national wildlife refuge.

peculiar or common to the whole people of a country: national customs.

devoted to one's own nation, its interests, etc.; patriotic: to stir up national pride.

nationalist.

concerning or encompassing an entire nation: a national radio network.

limited to one nation.

noun

a citizen or subject of a particular nation who is entitled to its protection: U.S. nationals living abroad.

Often nationals. a national competition, tournament, or the like: We're invited to Minneapolis for the nationals.

a national company or organization.

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of national

First recorded in 1590–1600; nation + -al¹

OTHER WORDS FROM national

na·tion·al·ly, adverban·ti·na·tion·al, adjectivean·ti·na·tion·al·ly, adverbnon·na·tion·al, adjective, noun

non·na·tion·al·ly, adverbpre·na·tion·al, adjectivepro·na·tion·al, adjectivepseu·do·na·tion·al, adjectivepseu·do·na·tion·al·ly, adverbqua·si-na·tion·al, adjectivequa·si-na·tion·al·ly, adverbsub·na·tion·al, adjectiveun·na·tion·al, adjectiveun·na·tion·al·ly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH national

federal, national

Words nearby national

Nathaniel, Nathans, natheless, Natick, nation, national, National Academy of Sciences, national accounting, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, national agreement, national anthem

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use national in a sentence

Every year, on opening night, the orchestra, under his instructions, would play the national anthem before the opera began.
Mark Cuban had the right idea: It’s time to rethink how we use the national anthem|John Feinstein|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
Mark Cuban isn’t the first to try to stop playing the national anthemI also note that watching athletes find their voices and draw attention to their passions by kneeling during the anthem has been inspiring.
The pregame national anthem — in all its roiling contradictions — still has something to offer|Barry Svrluga|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, 72, first told parliament he was “not familiar with the remarks,” to boos from the opposition, before saying they were “unfavorable to the national interest” but claiming it was not up to him whether Mori resigned.
Japan Olympics chief who said women talk too much will resign over remarks, reports say|Simon Denyer, Julia Mio Inuma|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
The NCAA tournament ends with the Final Four on April 3 and the national title game on April 5.
Big Ten moves men’s basketball tournament to Indianapolis|Emily Giambalvo|February 9, 2021|Washington Post

Many of the hosts who followed Limbaugh into national syndication weren’t as skillful or as popular.
Rush Limbaugh is ailing. And so is the conservative talk radio industry.|Paul Farhi|February 9, 2021|Washington Post
The scheme has been condemned by civil liberties groups and queried by the National Association of Head Teachers.
Britain May Spy on Preschoolers Searching for Potential Jihadis|Nico Hines|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Portraits of Lincoln and Eisenhower were removed from the offices of the Republican National Committee.
Ed Brooke: The Senate's Civil Rights Pioneer and Prophet of a Post-Racial America|John Avlon|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Whether he can do it on the national stage is the unanswered question.
Can Huckabee Convert the GOP’s Moneymen?|Lloyd Green|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
We face a lot of problems at this moment in our national and global history.
In 2015, Let’s Try for More Compassion|Gene Robinson|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But the last national figure to wield ancient personal authority in an explicitly religious way was Robert F. Kennedy.
No Gods, No Cops, No Masters|James Poulos|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He was long a correspondent of the National Intelligencer and other papers, residing in Virginia.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
He has come to believe in such things as old age pensions and national insurance.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
I must make no mistake, and blunder into a national type of features, all wrong; if I make your mask, it must do us credit.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
Opening of the national assembly of France, after the abdication of Louis Philippe.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
The courts in every state must also follow the decisions of the federal courts in all matters of a national character.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles

British Dictionary definitions for national (1 of 2)

national

/ (ˈnæʃənəl) /

adjective

of, involving, or relating to a nation as a whole

of, relating to, or characteristic of a particular nationthe national dress of Poland

rare nationalistic or patriotic

noun

a citizen or subject

a national newspaper

Derived forms of national

nationally, adverb

British Dictionary definitions for national (2 of 2)

National

/ (ˈnæʃənəl) /

noun

the National short for the Grand National

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

national

Origin of national

OTHER WORDS FROM national

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH national

Words nearby national

Words related to national

How to use national in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for national (1 of 2)

Derived forms of national

British Dictionary definitions for national (2 of 2)