national

[nash-uh-nl, nash-nuhl]

adjective

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

   national affairs.

2. owned, preserved, or maintained by the federal government.

   a national wildlife refuge.

3. peculiar or common to the whole people of a country.

   national customs.

4. devoted to one's own nation, its interests, etc.; patriotic.

   to stir up national pride.

5. nationalist.

6. concerning or encompassing an entire nation.

   a national radio network.

7. limited to one nation.

noun

1. a citizen or subject of a particular nation who is entitled to its protection.

   U.S. nationals living abroad.

2. Often nationals. a national competition, tournament, or the like.

   We're invited to Minneapolis for the nationals.

3. a national company or organization.

national

¹

/ ˈnæʃənəl /

adjective

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

2. of, relating to, or characteristic of a particular nation

   the national dress of Poland

3. rare,  nationalistic or patriotic

noun

1. a citizen or subject

2. a national newspaper

National

²

/ ˈnæʃənəl /

noun

1. short for the Grand National

Other Word Forms

• nationally adverb
• antinational adjective
• antinationally adverb
• nonnational adjective
• nonnationally adverb
• prenational adjective
• pronational adjective
• pseudonational adjective
• pseudonationally adverb
• quasi-national adjective
• quasi-nationally adverb
• subnational adjective
• unnational adjective
• unnationally adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of national¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; nation + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Few people who have been on the national stage this long retain an ability to startle.

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When LSU gave him the heave-ho in October, the athletic director cited Coach Kelly’s failure to “lead us to multiple SEC and national championships.”

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The Bangladeshi national and university graduate had first come to the island two years earlier.

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The order calls for partnerships with private companies, universities and national laboratories, while mandating strict cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive research.

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Just what is an “AI use”, and what is “AI”, in the first place, remain subject to interpretation, said a May 2025 note by lawyers at the national insurance litigation firm Hunton Andrews Kurth.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• civil 
• communal 
• domestic 
• ethnic 
• governmental www.thesaurus.com
• internal 
• interstate 
• nationwide 
• public 
• social