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Synonyms

national

American  
[nash-uh-nl, nash-nuhl] / ˈnæʃ ə nl, ˈnæʃ nəl /

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 British  
/ 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

"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

noun

  1. a citizen or subject

  2. a national newspaper

"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 2 British  
/ ˈnæʃənəl /

noun

  1. 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

Other Word Forms

  • antinational adjective
  • antinationally adverb
  • nationally 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

Etymology

Origin of national

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

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.

Red Sanders departed Vanderbilt — his alma mater — to embark on a golden era of football at UCLA, guiding the Bruins to a 66-19-1 record and a share of the Bruins’ only national championship, in 1954.

From Los Angeles Times

The injured have been taken to hospital while national police and the Peruvian Navy look for more survivors.

From BBC

An ad in a national newspaper felt too flashy, so they opted for the Sunday edition of a local paper in San Francisco.

From The Wall Street Journal

Going that long is quite a feat even in a country where painful political negotiations are almost as much a part of the national culture as beer, chocolate and chips.

From Barron's

German football club Augsburg parted ways with trainer Sandro Wagner on Monday, ending a brief and disappointing tenure for the former German national team assistant.

From Barron's