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.
concerning or encompassing an entire nation.
a national radio network.
limited to one nation.
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.
of, involving, or relating to a nation as a whole
of, relating to, or characteristic of a particular nation
the national dress of Poland
rare nationalistic or patriotic
a citizen or subject
a national newspaper
National is an adjective that refers to something or someone that belongs to a nation or country. Baseball is the national pastime of the United States. The word national describes anything that is common to, shared by, or represents a group of people or a place that is considered a nation, like the national anthem sung before the national pastime of baseball. National statistics provide information about a country as a whole. During times of war, the national mood is usually tense and sad. A national is also a citizen of a nation. You might be called an “American national” if you are an American living in Paris.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Less than a fortnight later, on 6 June, they accused the US of denying visas to "integral" members of the national team's backroom staff, with 15 administrative officials denied entry.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
Efficient freight rail acts as a foundational shock absorber for national supply chains and a shield protecting the global competitiveness of our exporters.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
At the same time, the value of imports edged up 0.3% during April to a record C75.44 billion, the national data agency said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
Benevolent because the expansion created space for underrepresented regions in Africa, Asia and the Americans to participate, sparking additional interest in the sport there and unlocking funding and other support for national team programs.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
A national group called the People-to-People Committee was attempting to raise funds for the team, and the executive director asked Bobby if he’d give a simultaneous exhibition to publicize the team’s plight.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
